The Community Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee convened to discuss and provide feedback on the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service's (CFRS) Medium Term Financial Plan 2025-26, the CFRS Productivity and Efficiency Plan 2025-26, and the Food and Feed Hygiene and Standards Plan 2025-26, all of which were recommended for approval to the Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health. The committee also reviewed updates from various cabinet members.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Medium Term Financial Plan 2025-26

The committee reviewed the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service's Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2025-26, which outlines the service's budget for the upcoming financial year and its financial strategy for the following three years. The MTFP is refreshed annually to account for local and national changes, aligning with the council's business plan and reflecting updates in funding, income, and spending.

The plan sets out how the service intends to use its resources to deliver its Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). The CRMP identifies key objectives such as reducing the impact of incidents on risk groups, reducing fire deaths and injuries, and mitigating the impact of fires and other incidents.

The MTFP includes a detailed breakdown of the CFRS budget, including income and expenditure projections. For 2025-26, the net service budget is £28 million, representing 3.5% of the overall council budget.

The plan also addresses efficiency savings and productivity improvements. For 2025-26, CFRS is required to identify £0.030 million in savings through measures such as ceasing a contract with an external barrister for fire safety prosecution (£0.010 million) and increasing the hours the service will not attend Automatic Fire Alarms (AFAs) without a backup call to confirm a fire incident (£0.020 million).

The committee fulfilled its statutory role by reviewing the MTFP and providing comments.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Productivity and Efficiency Plan 2025-26

The committee reviewed the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Productivity and Efficiency Plan 2025-26, which outlines the service's strategies for delivering effective and efficient services. The plan details efficiencies achieved in the previous year, as well as plans to improve productivity.

The plan highlights the importance of creating a culture rooted in trust and confidence to enhance efficiency and productivity. It also emphasizes the value of collaboration with other organisations to improve service delivery.

The plan includes several transformation projects aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness, such as the Communications Project, the Fire Control project, and the People, Culture & Leadership programme.

The committee noted that the service has consistently achieved savings, including from non-pay costs.

Food and Feed Hygiene and Standards Plan 2025-26

The committee reviewed the Food and Feed Hygiene and Standards Plan 2025-26, which details how Regulatory Services proposes to deliver services to protect the safety and integrity of the human food chain. The plan outlines the challenges facing the service, particularly in light of economic and cost-of-living pressures.

The plan notes that there is a real public health risk associated with the preparation and supply of food. Nationally, there are approximately 2.4 million cases of foodborne illness per year and 180 deaths attributed to foodborne illness per year.

The plan states that Regulatory Services will be needed to protect public health and to support local businesses. Both statutory protective services and those provided through the Business Regulatory Support Hub are critical for businesses to be both compliant and successful and to protect public health.

The plan outlines a comprehensive mix of statutory and preventative priorities that are determined by risk, benefits and resource limitations. These priorities include targeting resources at high-risk areas, returning non-compliant food/feed businesses into compliance, and delivering regulatory business support and advice to food/feed businesses.

The committee was informed of a backlog of 178 D rated food safety interventions, left from the pandemic. To mitigate this risk further, food safety officers will be undertaking shorter interventions at those with a current and historic record of good compliance to free up capacity.

The committee was asked to consider the plan and recommend it to the Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health for approval.

Questions from Members to the Cabinet Member on their update

The committee received updates from the Cabinet Members for Community Safety and Public Health, Tourism, Localism and Planning, and Environment and Climate Change.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, Councillor Loic Rich, noted that the committee may wish to periodically review the progress and effectiveness of the council's waste strategy, in particular those actions relating to government requirements and changes in legislation. Councillor Rich also noted that Kernow Reuse Shops had opened at the St Erth Household Waste Recycling Centres and the Helston shop should follow in October.

The Cabinet Member for Tourism, Localism and Planning, Councillor Sarah Preece, noted that an extension of funding for the Cultural and Creative Investment Programme and Cornish Language in Schools was being proposed. Councillor Preece also noted that an interim report on Local Plan progress, including first baseline report, emerging issues, and next steps, would be presented to the Cornwall Growth Board on 09 October 2025.