DISCUSSIONS have begun around whether Cornwall should have a directly elected mayor and how much it might cost the taxpayer, writes local democracy reporter Richard Whitehouse.

Cornwall councillors have been given a briefing on the possibility of a directly elected mayor to secure new powers from Westminster.

The Government revealed earlier this year that Cornwall was one of a handful of areas which had been invited to draw up a new county deal to secure more devolved powers.

However details from the Department for Levelling Up have suggested that Cornwall would need a directly elected mayor in order to secure the highest level of devolved powers.

A report to the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) last week recommended that Cornwall should bid for a Level 3 county deal which would require a directly elected mayor. This leader would be similar to those in cities such as London, Manchester and Bristol.

One of the discussions believed to be exercising councillors at County Hall is around who should decide whether Cornwall has a directly elected mayor. Some are understood to have indicated a preference for a referendum which would allow the public to decide. A referendum could cost around £1.4 million but those in favour of a referendum say that the one-off costs would be lower than the annual costs which would be incurred once a directly elected leader is in place.

Steve Double, MP for St Austell and Newquay, previously suggested that a referendum would be required to decide whether Cornwall has a directly elected mayor.

If there was no referendum then it could be down to a vote by Cornwall Council to decide whether Cornwall should have a directly elected mayor.

Bristol, which has a smaller population than Cornwall, has had a directly elected mayor since 2012 following a referendum which found a majority of voters in favour. However, a second referendum is set to be held in May to decide whether the post remains.

Figures from Bristol City Council indicate that Bristol mayor Martin Rees’ basic salary in 2020/21 was £80,870. And the Bristol Post found in 2019 that the mayor’s office had cost the taxpayer £3 million in the seven years since it was first established.

The report which was presented to the LEP board last Wednesday sets out some of the additional powers available under Level 3 if Cornwall had a directly mayor, which could see county-wide brownfield site developments, highways improvements and rail projects be managed by the mayoral office.

It might also have the power to raise addtional business rates.