CORNWALL Council will meet in Truro next week to set its budget for next year, where a draft budget, recommended by the Cabinet, will be put before councillors.

If approved, the budget will see an immediate increase of £22-million in the Council’s net revenue spending on providing care for adults and children to meet growing demands on two vital statutory services.

The meeting is also expected to hear and vote on alternative budgets from opposition parties.

The Conservative administration presently leading the council says that its budget will feature longer term capital investments delivered over the next five years.

These include £173-million to create new school places and repair school buildings, investments in appliance replacements for Cornwall Fire and Rescue, continuing to invest in new technology to create modern, low-carbon ways of working, and £1.5-billion on projects to support economic growth, maintain the transport network, and create homes and jobs for local people.

To fund that investment and help the most vulnerable in society in Cornwall, councillors will be asked to approve a 4.99 per cent increase in Council Tax rates which includes a two per cent levy to be used to support growing demand for adult social care services.

Also on the agenda for next week’s meeting will be the Safer Cornwall Partnership plan for 2025 to 2028, while councillors and the public will have the usual opportunities to ask questions.

It will take place in the council chamber at County Hall (Lys Kernow) in Truro on Tuesday, February 25, starting at 10.30am.

Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “This has been a long a difficult budget process, but we have reached a position where we are protecting our frontline services, and showing the prudent financial management needed to ensure the council remains sustainable going forwards.”