Land at Pendennis Headland in Falmouth, including the former Ships & Castles leisure centre, is set to be handed over to Falmouth Town Council for £1. 

Cornwall Council’s cabinet committee resolved to approve the devolution of the land when they met today in Truro. 

Also on the agenda were a potential increase in next year’s council tax, plans to double council tax rates for second homes, and the Langarth Garden Village Heat Network. 

The decision to transfer the land in Falmouth was approved unanimously by the cabinet and welcomed by fellow councillors attending the meeting. 

Cllr David Harris, who introduced the agenda item, thanked the work of council staff from both Cornwall Council and Falmouth Town Council, local councillors, and local residents, telling the meeting: “It just shows that teamwork makes it work.” 

The site is now set to be handed to Falmouth Town Council on a freehold basis for a token sum of £1.  The town council has already resolved to hand the former leisure centre to an alternative service provider, with the aim of reopening the facility. 

The transfer of the land should take place before March 31, 2023. 

The Langarth Garden Village Heat Network – Green Heat Network Fund Grant Award was also approved by the cabinet today.  Described as an ‘amazing’ piece of work, the project would see more than 3,000 homes at the Langarth development heated by hot water produced by geothermal power production. 

It would provide clean, green energy for the new estate and would be a big step towards the council’s zero-carbon ambition. 

The item was approved unanimously by cabinet. 

Also under discussion today was a proposal to increase council tax next year by 4.99 per cent, which has been made after the chancellor announced local councils would be able to increase tax by that amount in order to tackle the current financial pressures. 

Cllr Harris told the meeting that although he wished the increase could be avoided, it was essential for the council to keep providing essential services.  

The cabinet also agreed to proceed with plans to increase council tax payments on second homes by 100 per cent in 2024 if new government legislation is approved in time. 

Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of the council, said: “This was a wide-ranging agenda, with some crucial items that really matter to our residents. 

“I am delighted we are proceeding with the transfer of land to Falmouth Town Council, it is the culmination of a lot of hard work and will hopefully see the return of a sustainable leisure provision for the area. 

“It was also a pleasure to see the Langarth Garden Village Heat Network item on the agenda.  This is a wonderfully innovative project which ticks so many boxes, especially for our green agenda. 

“Of course, there are also difficult decisions to take, and the decision to put forward a recommended 4.99per cent increase in Council Tax was not something any of us wanted to do, but is vital for us as an authority if we want to continue providing our essential services. 

“In our consultation on the budget so far, more than 60 per cent of respondents have said they understand the need to increase the tax in the light of the current financial challenges we are facing. 

“These are challenging times, but we will be able to get through them by working together, and ensuring all we do is focused on improving the lives of our residents.”