THE new chief executive of Cornwall Council said it is ‘important’ the local authority recognises the differing needs across the county.

A week into her role, Kate Kennally, previously strategic director for commissioning and deputy chief executive at the London Borough of Barnet, told the Post she understands why towns such as Bude and Launceston would feel cut off from decision making at Truro.

“It’s an understandable feeling as Cornwall is a very long county. It’s important that Cornwall Council is seen to understand the needs of all our different residents and the issues in Launceston and Bude are different to those in Penzance and St Just. I think it’s important Cornwall Council recognises that.

“For me as chief executive, I’m very keen to make sure that I personally understand and officers have got understanding of the issues. I want to make sure I’m not just sitting five days a week in County Hall. I’m going to work out of a range of council facilities at least once a month.

“We have a communities and devolution team whose job is to go out and talk to local councils about which services should be delivered at a local level.”

In Launceston, the library is the key Cornwall Council asset that has been under discussion, with the town council looking at the potential of taking on the running of it.

On devolution deals that could be struck between Cornwall Council and town/parish councils and other groups, and how fair deals can be achieved, Ms Kennally said: “I think that’s a very important point and we need to ensure these are equitable across Cornwall.

“In our four-year financial strategy there is a budget saving that needs to be saved from libraries. We hope we will be able to achieve that by having conversations with town councils and parish councils.

“Those town councils and parish councils that don’t want to do that, it will be my expectation the budgets will reduce in line with budget savings that need to be made.

“It’s a reality for local authorities up and down the country that actually we need to find new and different ways of delivering public services. Cornwall Council has got a four-year plan to address that by devolving services but also joining up services, using our land and buildings smarter and better so every penny spent is well spent.”

Other key issues Ms Kennally highlighted were ‘relatively low wages’, higher house prices, and affordable housing. She said: “Over the next 12 months we are developing a housing investment plan to bring about 1,000 affordable homes per year. That will go some way to addressing that.”

She said she wants Cornwall to be a place where people ‘start well and can stay and live well’.

She added: “Cornwall Council is ambitious for Cornwall. It recognises it can’t do it on its own. We have to work with public sector partners, residents, the voluntary sector, to make Cornwall a success now and into the future.”