The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Leadership Board met on Friday 18 September 2026 to discuss a range of strategic matters, including the council's risk register, devolution updates, and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. The meeting also included an update on the Isles of Scilly.

Tour of St Minver Community Hub and Discussion on the VCSE Sector

The meeting began with a tour of the St Minver Community Hub in St Minver Lowlands. Following the tour, there was a scheduled discussion on the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. This sector plays a vital role in delivering services and supporting communities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Isles of Scilly Update

Joel Williams was scheduled to provide an update on matters concerning the Isles of Scilly. This would have covered any recent developments or ongoing issues specific to the islands.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Executive Group Strategic Update

An update was planned on the strategic matters discussed by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Executive Group. This group brings together senior leaders from public, private, and voluntary sectors to foster collaboration and address shared priorities. The update would have covered progress on various strategic programmes and opportunities arising from initiatives like the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Vanguard Programme, which aims to support economic growth, employment, and skills development.

Valuing Local Framework Report

A report on the Valuing Local Framework was scheduled for discussion. While the full report was not detailed in the provided agenda, this framework likely relates to how the council values and supports local initiatives, communities, and economies.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Strategic Risk Register

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Strategic Risk Register. This document outlines the key risks facing the region, linked to the aims of the Cornwall Plan 2020-2050. The report detailed identified risks, their potential impacts, and proposed mitigation strategies.

Key risks scheduled for discussion included:

• Deterioration in Population Health and Widening Inequalities: This risk, with a current score of 25 (Very High), highlighted concerns about increasing demand on health and care services, demographic changes, and adverse wider determinants of health such as poverty, insecure employment, and housing affordability. The report noted that the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Partnership interfaces with this risk area.
• Climate Change and the Environment: With a current score of 20 (Very High), this risk acknowledged the compounding impacts of climate change on Cornwall's coastal location, rural economy, and infrastructure. Potential impacts included increased flood risk, drought, fires, health and social care issues, agricultural pressure, and losses of biodiversity. The CIOS Local Nature Partnership and CIOS Climate Commission are noted as interfacing with this risk.
• Societal Needs, Resilience and Safety: This risk, with a current score of 15 (High), encompassed concerns about community cohesion, political disconnection, widening inequality, the digital divide, and fragile funding and system capacity. Specific issues for the Isles of Scilly, such as digital and connectivity fragility and young people's access to social interaction, were also mentioned. The Safer Cornwall Partnership and Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum interface with this risk.
• Housing: A risk with a current score of 12 (High) addressed the unmet housing needs across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, including the requirement for affordable homes, temporary accommodation, and specialist housing. The report highlighted that the Isles of Scilly has seen no significant new housing development in 20 years and faces issues with poor quality, unaffordable housing, and a lack of public transport. The CIoS Strategic Housing Group interfaces with this risk.
• Economy – Investment: This risk, with a current score of 16 (High), focused on the challenges presented by the changing funding landscape and the significant investment needed to achieve the objectives of the creative net zero economy within the Cornwall Plan. The diminishing grant funding environment and the prioritisation of mayoral areas were noted as concerns. The CIoS Economic Forum interfaces with this risk.
• Economy – Macroeconomic: Also with a current score of 20 (Very High), this risk acknowledged the impact of wider macroeconomic factors such as Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and geopolitical uncertainties on local economic performance, business confidence, and labour market conditions.
• Resources and Financial Uncertainty: This risk, with a current score of 25 (Very High) for both Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly, highlighted the ongoing financial uncertainty and sustained funding pressure on public services due to national policy changes and spending review decisions. The report noted that these challenges are amplified by Cornwall's rural and coastal geography and the specific access and remoteness for the Isles of Scilly.
• Workforce and Skills: With a current score of 16 (High), this risk addressed concerns that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly's economy may not be future-proofed due to an aging population, shifting global markets, and technological change. Challenges included inactivity and NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), skills shortages, an aging workforce, qualification gaps, lagging productivity, and underinvestment in research and development. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Workforce and Skills Board and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum interface with this risk.

The Board was recommended to endorse the strategic risk definitions and scoring, and agree the next steps for risk assessment and mitigation.

Devolution / Single Foundation Strategic Authority Update

A verbal update was scheduled on the devolution agenda and the potential for a Single Foundation Strategic Authority. This would have provided information on any recent developments or discussions regarding the future governance and strategic direction of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Leigh Frost and Matt Barton were listed as leads for this item.