Cornwall Council Signs Secret Homes Deal

Cornwall Council approved a confidential memorandum of understanding with Homes England on September 2, formalising what it calls a new “place partnership” aimed at speeding housing delivery and regeneration across the county. The council said the agreement is meant to help unlock sites, attract grant, loan and equity funding, and align the two bodies on housing and infrastructure priorities across Cornwall. Opposition councillors questioned why the terms were not published, after the council said Homes England had asked for the memorandum to be treated as confidential information. Cornwall framed the deal as part of a broader response to a housing squeeze that it says has left more than 20,000 households with a connection to Cornwall registered in housing need, while around 800 households at risk of homelessness are being supported in temporary or emergency accommodation. The council’s housing growth prospectus says Cornwall is working to meet a target of 4,421 homes a year and describes an eight-point plan with Homes England covering public land, affordable housing, private investment and infrastructure. (cornwall.gov.uk) ### Why was the agreement kept confidential? An individual decision day meeting on Wednesday, September 2, was told there was “public interest” in understanding the terms of the agreement, but that Homes England had made clear the memorandum should be treated as confidential, according to local reporting on the meeting. Cornwall Council’s own announcement described the arrangement as a memorandum of understanding and outlined its policy aims, but did not publish the document itself. (cornwall.gov.uk) Cornwall Council’s public meetings page says residents can view agendas, minutes, reports and decisions online, and the authority has published a route to meeting records and webcasts. That leaves the dispute centered not on whether the decision was announced, but on whether the underlying terms should have been released. ### What does Cornwall say the partnership will actually do? Cornwall Council said the memorandum creates a framework for “exploring opportunities and aligning priorities” in five areas: accelerating housing delivery, unlocking public sector-led housing and regeneration projects, supporting private investment, increasing affordable homes and backing infrastructure and planning for growth. (falmouthpacket.co.uk) The council said the agreement builds on existing joint work in St Austell, Truro and Newquay. (cornwall.gov.uk) Cllr Peter La Broy, Cornwall’s cabinet member for housing, said the partnership would bring together “expertise, investment opportunities and resources” and help the authority unlock sites, support housing projects and attract additional funding. Kate McBride, Homes England’s executive regional director for the South, said the agreement reflected the agency’s approach of tailoring work with local partners to the needs of different communities. (cornwall.gov.uk) ### Why is Cornwall describing this as unusual? Cornwall told local media that the arrangement would make it only the third local authority in England to enter into this kind of place partnership with Homes England. The council linked that claim to the scale of Cornwall’s housing target, which its prospectus describes as the second highest in England outside London. (cornwall.gov.uk) Housing minister Matthew Pennycook supported Cornwall’s housing prospectus and endorsed the council’s request to enter the place partnership, according to local reporting. Cornwall has also been expanding its own housing programme: a council page published earlier this year said its Homes Cornwall initiative aims to release around 400 acres of land to deliver at least 4,000 homes. (falmouthpacket.co.uk) ### Which places could see projects move first? Cornwall’s announcement did not publish a first list of sites tied to the memorandum, but it said the partnership builds on work already under way in St Austell, Truro and Newquay. The housing growth prospectus says the council wants to unlock priority housing projects and programmes, open a pipeline of public assets for new housing and use targeted interventions to speed private delivery. (falmouthpacket.co.uk) Local coverage said councillors raised scrutiny questions partly because the agreement could shape which stalled sites and towns are prioritized next. That prospectus is publicly available on Cornwall Council’s website and sets out the council’s 2026-27 housing plan with Homes England. ### What happens next? The 2026-27 Cornwall Housing Growth Prospectus is now the public document setting out the council’s targets, funding approach and programme areas with Homes England. (cornwall.gov.uk) Cornwall Council’s meetings portal says future cabinet papers, minutes and decision records can be tracked through its online meetings and webcasts pages as projects come forward. (cornwall.gov.uk) (falmouthpacket.co.uk)