A consultation on whether Cornwall should have an elected mayor and a devolution deal has produced mixed results.
The deal would see the devolution of more powers to Cornwall Council along with extra funding, and the introduction of a mayor directly elected by residents in place of the current council leader.
Two separate types of surveys were undertaken; an open ‘consultation questionnaire’, which was available online and via hard copy to all residents, and a ‘representative survey’, undertaken by independent survey experts.
The open consultation survey received 6,105 responses, with 69% of those against the deal with a mayor and 25% in favour. The representative survey saw 65% of responses in favour of the deal and mayor, with just 16% against.
In both surveys there was a significant inclination by younger people to support the deal with a mayor, compared with our older residents.
More than 5,000 people engaged in online and face-to-face events, including 14 town hall meetings across Cornwall.
Town and parish councils who responded were mainly negative regarding the deal. Forty of 211 councils asked for a referendum to be held on the deal, and 14 stated their opposition to a mayor.
The findings from the consultation will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the council’s cabinet committee next Wednesday (5 April).
Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of Cornwall Council, said: ‘Firstly I want to say thank you to everyone who took part in this comprehensive consultation.
‘It is clear from these results that those who are opposed to the deal and the introduction of a mayor feel very strongly on the issue.
‘However, we know that most people want more decisions about Cornwall to be made in Cornwall, and the 'silent majority' seems, on balance, to favour the deal, including an elected mayor.’
