The Cornwall Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 20 May 2025. The agenda includes the election of a leader, leader's announcements including appointments to the cabinet, and the appointment of committees. Councillors will also discuss mandatory member training and the state of Cornwall in the national context.

Election of Leader and Appointments

The meeting includes the election of the Leader of Cornwall Council. Following the election, the Leader is expected to announce appointments to the cabinet and allocate portfolios.

Appointment of Committees

Councillors are scheduled to consider a report regarding the appointment of committees. The report recommends the establishment of various committees to handle responsibilities as outlined in the council's constitution.

The committees that are scheduled for discussion are:

• Appeals Committee
• Audit Committee
• Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Central Sub-Area Planning Committee
• Chief Officers Employment Committee
• Community Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Constitution and Governance Committee
• Cornwall Harbours Board
• Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority
• Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• East Sub-Area Planning Committee
• Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Health and Wellbeing Board
• Licensing Act Committee
• Miscellaneous Licensing Committee
• Mount Edgcumbe Joint Committee (jointly with Plymouth City Council)
• Pensions Committee
• Standards Committee
• Strategic Planning Committee
• Sustainable Growth and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee (jointly with Plymouth City Council)
• Together for Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• West Sub-Area Planning Committee

The report notes that the Council is required to appoint at least one scrutiny committee, a standards committee, and an audit committee.

The report also refers to a decision by the previous council to rename the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee to the Together for Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and the Economic Growth and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee to the Sustainable Growth and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The Sustainable Growth and Development Directorate is also expected to become the Sustainable Growth and Place Directorate from 1 July 2025.

The report states that the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HASCOSC) will continue to scrutinise the Public Health function. The Community Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (CWOSC) is proposed to be the designated crime and disorder scrutiny committee.

The Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park Joint Committee is an important body which deals with issues relating to the Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park. Both bodies are joint Committees established with Plymouth City Council. The Cabinets of Plymouth City Council and this Council have joint responsibility under the Countryside Act 1968 and Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 for the strategic management and control of the Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park, and as it is important the Joint Committee continues it is included in the recommendations for completeness.

Mandatory Member Training

The council will consider a recommendation from the Standards Committee to amend the Code of Conduct for Members regarding mandatory training. The proposed amendment states that a councillor will be in breach of the code if they fail to complete one or more modules of mandatory training as required by the Member Development Strategy for at least one calendar month after the deadline.

The code amendment makes exceptions for:

• illness
• approved absence
• jury service
• family emergency
• waiting for reasonable adjustments related to a protected characteristic¹
• the required training not being available due to circumstances such as the Learning Hub being inoperable

The proposed amendment states that breaches of the code related to mandatory training will be recorded without the need for formal complaints, further information gathering, investigation, or formal decision notices.

A report included in the agenda pack notes that the Standards Committee previously considered a report on 6 February 2025, which reflected a recommendation from the Constitution and Governance Committee that non-compliance with mandatory training requirements for members should represent a breach of the Code of Conduct.

The report also references a working group that met on 5 March 2025, which agreed that:

• Mandatory training related to taking up seats or roles on committees should be left to self-police, including through the support of Group Leaders.
• The Code of Conduct breach provisions should relate to the other mandatory training that Members are required to complete.
• The measures to address mandatory training related breaches of the Code of Conduct should not be overbearing in terms of resource.

The mandatory training modules that are scheduled to be discussed are:

• Code of Conduct (in person)
• Information Governance (online)
• Cyber Security (online)
• Understanding perspectives (face to face)
• Equality and diversity (face to face)
• Safeguarding in Cornwall (online)
• Climate Literacy (online)
• Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (online)

State of Cornwall in the National Context

The Leader is scheduled to provide a report on the state of Cornwall in the national context.