With eight months to go until Cornwall's seven councils are merged into one new unitary council - Cornwall Council - John Healey met the team responsible for turning Cornwall's vision for a unitary council into a reality and discussed progress. He also discussed the changes with key stakeholders in health, education and police, along with representatives from the local business sector that will benefit from these changes.
Local people will also benefit from the new unitary through more coordinated, improved local services, less red tape and a single local point of reference for the services they receive. The change will also empower local communities, with a greater role for parish councils, and create the strong local leadership necessary to promote economic prosperity in the county.
There are savings to be gained too - meaning better value for money for taxpayers. The new set up is expected to make estimated annual savings of over £15m for Cornwall's communities - savings which could be reinvested to improve public services, or reduce local council tax.
