Vote for Cornwall's Object of the Year
Get your vote in fast for 1 of the 6 intriguing treasures shortlisted from museums, galleries and historic sites across Cornwall in the Object of the Year Award 2025.
Object of the Year is part of the Cornwall Heritage Awards and it’s up to you - the public - to decide the winner.
Among the fascinating nominees are a 27-foot-long bus named Poppy, a 200-year-old life-jacket made of cork, and a painting of a ship celebrating pioneering 19th century Cornish businesswoman Jane Slade.
Voting closes on Monday (10 February).
Looking to grow your business?
Businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly – applications are now open for Good Growth funding!
Apply for grants of £20,000 to £200,000 to help drive growth, boost productivity, and create high-quality, well-paid jobs.
Feel good food for February
Looking for February feel-good food? Then try this winter-warming leek and lentil soup from our Healthy Cornwall team's Eat Well, Spend Less video recipe series.
These videos give you tips on how to eat healthily on a budget with everyday ingredients from your local shop.
Full of fibre and protein this recipe keeps you feeling full and satisfied. We hope you enjoy eating this delicious meal!
Time to check for gaps in your pension
There are just 2 months left to check for any gaps in your National Insurance contributions since 6 April 2006 and fill them with National Insurance credits.
From the 6 April 2025, people will only be able to make voluntary National Insurance contributions for the previous six tax years, in line with normal time limits.
The Check your State Pension forecast service on GOV.UK is the quickest and easiest way to check what your pension will be in retirement and take action if needed. You can also use the HMRC app.
Get a free tree!
Join us at upcoming events in Bude, Helston, Torpoint, Redruth, Launceston, and Liskeard to collect a free tree sapling from the Forest for Cornwall team.
Event dates and locations:
Tuesday 18 February: Launceston Library, 10.30am - 12.30pm
Saturday 22 February: The Workshed, Liskeard, 10.30am - 12.30pm
Sign up to receive the Forest for Cornwall newsletter to stay up to date with news, information and updates.
Are you looking for a new job?
Our Proud to Care recruitment team are heading to St Austell in a few weeks, so if you're looking for a new role why not pop along to meet employers and advisers?
Shire House Suite, Bodmin – 27 February 2025
10am - 4pm
What’s waiting for you?
Experience the role of a care worker like never before! Try our VR headsets and immerse yourself in a “day in the life” of a care worker with interactive, hands-on training.
Meet local employers offering a wide variety of roles to suit all skills and experiences.
Enjoy refreshments as you explore your next steps in a rewarding career.
Whether you’re starting a new career, returning to work, or looking for a fresh challenge, this event is your chance to take the first step in a fulfilling and meaningful role.
Find out more and save the date www.proudtocarecornwall.org.uk/events
We can’t wait to welcome you!
Act early if you, or someone you know, is at risk of homelessness
If you, or someone you know, may be of risk of homelessness, don’t wait until it’s too late, please urge them to get in touch with us now.
Our Housing Options team can
Help you stay where you are
Negotiate with your landlord
Support you in finding alternative housing
Call us today on 0300 1234 161 or visit www.cornwall.gov.uk/housing
New Transport for Cornwall app
The new Transport for Cornwall app is designed to make it easier for people to plan journeys, buy tickets and track services across different routes and operators across Cornwall.
It includes:
Mobile tickets – Buy tickets securely with a debit or credit card and use a mobile ticket when boarding
Bus service updates – Track buses in real-time and keep up to date with service changes directly inside the app
Journey planning – With over 11,000 locations to search for
Timetables – For all routes and times
Live departures – Browse and view bus stops on the map, and explore upcoming departures
Favourites – Save regular Departure Boards and Journeys
For more information and to download the app, visit www.transportforcornwall.co.uk/app
Listening to You events
Cllr Linda Taylor, Leader of Cornwall Council, will be visiting more towns during January and February to meet informally with residents.
You are welcome to come along and chat with Linda about local issues, Cornwall Council services and priorities, or anything else that is on your mind if she is visiting your area, or any of the following venues:
19 February, 1pm – 2.30pm: Launceston Town Hall, Guildhall Room, Western Road, Launceston, PL15 7AR
20 February, 2pm – 3.30pm: St Agnes Hotel, (The Aggie) Churchtown, St Agnes, TR5 0QP
https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/listening-to-you for more information.
New regulations on separating workplace waste for recycling
From 31 March 2025 it will be compulsory for businesses and certain other non-domestic premises to separate their workplace waste and arrange a recycling collection for glass, metal, plastics, cardboard, paper and food waste.
The new guidelines apply to all businesses and organisations, healthcare establishments and academic institutions. Small businesses with fewer than 10 full-time employees (excluding volunteers) are temporarily exempt until 31 March 2027. The Government’s aim is to improve recycling rates across England, which will help reduce business waste costs, energy usage and protect the environment.
You need to check the legislation to understand when your local council needs to comply (2025 or 2027). If you haven’t already, you also need to contract a waste collector to provide this full range of services. This can be a private waste collector or your local authority. Cornwall Council can offer a compliant service for businesses.
You must also ensure that the waste company you use is registered on the Public Register of Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers.
For more information, visit:
A warm welcome awaits
If you fancy getting out after the Christmas break, meeting other parents and finding friendly support on all aspects of parenting, why not visit one of our Family Hubs?
Family hubs are warm, inviting spaces where parents and caregivers can share stories, get advice and meet other families - supporting each other on the journey of parenthood.
From expecting a newborn, to nurturing toddlers, to helping teens through adolescence, you’ll find the services and the support you need to give your child the best start to life.
We can't wait to meet you!
Changes to sofas and armchairs being accepted at HWRCs
Some of Cornwall’s Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) can no longer accept sofas, armchairs and other upholstered furniture, due to new regulations imposed by the Environment Agency.
From 1 December, all upholstered furniture must be stored and transported separately from other non-recyclable waste. This applies to all seating that contains leather, synthetic leather, other fabric, or foam. Examples include sofas, sofa beds, armchairs, recliner chairs (electrical or mechanical), dining chairs, padded stools and foot stools, office chairs, futons, bean bags, floor and sofa cushions.
Due to a lack of space at some of Cornwall’s HWRCs, the following sites will not be able to accept these items;
Bude
Newquay
Truro
Helston
Dudnance Lane, Pool
If you'd like to book a bulky waste collection instead, please book a slot via our webpages.
The first sign of a stroke might not seem like much. Like not being able to raise your arm, or struggling to smile, or slurring when you speak.
Even if it doesn’t seem like it, any sign of a stroke is always an emergency. Call 999 immediately when you notice any sign of a stroke
Act FAST. Face or Arm or Speech, at the first sign, it's Time to call 999
Visit www.nhs.uk/ActFAST for more information.
Find support from the Community Gateway this winter.
Call the the free Community Gateway helpline on 01872 266383, 8am - 8pm, 7 days a week, to connect to a range of support services in your local community.
Find out more
People with loan shark debts can now get free, confidential support.
A specialist advisor is visiting libraries to help those affected by illegal money lending.
Cornwall Council’s Library Service has teamed up with the England Illegal Money Lending Team to offer a series of talks and events raising awareness about the dangers of loan sharks and the help available to people who have borrowed from them.
The libraries tour runs across Cornwall and the Isle of Scilly - click here for dates and location and more information.
Explore Tamar Valley with Free Guided Walks
This autumn, Tamar Valley National Landscape invites you to join their free, weekly guided walks. These walks offer a fantastic opportunity to explore scenic routes while enjoying the health and social benefits of walking in nature.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning, groups meet at various locations to discover beautiful trails like Churchtown Farm Nature Reserve, South West Coast Path, and Meavy Circular. Most walks include a coffee stop part way round or at the end, and many walkers agree that the social aspect of their walk gives them a real lift, in addition to the physical benefits.
No booking is required, so just turn up with appropriate footwear, a drink, and a snack. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome, and all walkers participate at their own risk.
Don't miss out on this chance to connect with nature and your community.
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is recruiting on-call firefighters
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is recruiting on-call firefighters at 26 stations across the Duchy.
Cornwall’s on-call firefighters come from all walks of life. They include homemakers, shopkeepers, builders, farmers, office workers and directors of companies, as well as people who are not in work.
When the call comes, they drop everything and are trained to deal with a range of emergencies such as rescues floods, crashes and chemical spills.
Applicants must be at least 18 and live or work within five minutes of a station. There's no upper age limit. Pay varies based on availability and station activity, with extra pay for training nights and courses.
Volunteers sought for Norovirus vaccine trial
Help to see if we can protect people against symptoms caused by the norovirus stomach bug with an investigational mRNA vaccine.
Norovirus is one of the most common causes of stomach bugs in the UK. There is currently no vaccine to protect against norovirus infection.
Researchers at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) are recruiting people to take part in a clinical trial to see if an investigational vaccine (a vaccine that is being studied) may be able to protect adults against the symptoms caused by the norovirus stomach bug.
To take part in the Nova 301 Trial, you must be 18 years of age or over, be in good health and should not currently have a chronic gastrointestinal disease. Participants will be reimbursed for their trial-related time and expenses, for example, travel.
Low-income households to benefit from £4.5m Household Support Fund
Low-income households in Cornwall will once again receive payments to help with the ongoing cost of living crisis after we secured £4.5m from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), through the Household Support Fund (HSF).
Payments of £80 per person will be made automatically to those eligible, including pensioners receiving council tax support and vulnerable adults on a low income.
In a change to the way HSF funds are allocated, this latest round will see an £80 payment made to an additional 3,000 pensioners in receipt of council tax support – previously only those in receipt of pension credit received payments.
A payment of £80 per child will also be made to low-income households who claim council tax support.
The latest round of funding will run to 31 March 2025, and will provide urgent support for those most in need as living costs continue to rise.
What to put in your food recyling
We've started collecting food waste across most parts of Cornwall as part of our new waste, recycling and rubbish service.
Here's some tips about using your food waste caddy.
You don’t need to line it, but if you like, you can use compostable liners or old newspaper.
You can pop in things like:
tea bags,
veg peelings,
eggshells,
banana skins
Once it’s full, just empty it into your outdoor green food waste bin and lock the handle! Please don't put your silver caddy inside your outdoor food waste bin.
Find out more about the new food waste, rubbish, and recycling collections and when they’re starting using the button below.
Do a home fire safety check - it could save your life
Did you know there are around 35,000 house fires and over 300 fire related deaths in Great Britain each year?
You can now carry out a free online home fire safety check using your phone or tablet. It only takes 15 minutes and could save a life.
If you have vulnerable friends, relatives or neighbours you can do the survey for them.
Developed by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Fire Kills and Safelincs, the survey takes you through the home one room at a time. The simple questions will help you spot fire risks as you go.
If the property is identified as high risk, you will be offered a free home fire safety check by a member of staff from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.
Reduce your risk of developing dementia
September is World Alzheimer’s Month, so throughout the month we’re sharing some top tips for reducing your risk.
There are a whole range of things you can do to lower your chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease and all types of dementia in later life.
In this video Dr Vicky Brown, shares her top tip to avoid loneliness and isolation.
New chatbot to help you get information fast
Residents in Cornwall will get help from a new and improved chatbot which has just launched on the Cornwall Council website.
The chatbot nick named ‘Ker-Know' can answer questions on all the services offered by the council, from waste to education, and do tasks by responding to messages in real time.
It does this by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to search the website on behalf of residents, intelligently responding to their inquiries.
Ker-Know can now resolve almost three quarters of enquiries received by the council daily.
Protect your baby from RSV
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major respiratory virus that is most common over the winter period, typically October to February. While the symptoms are mild for many, for some it can have much more serious consequences. The new RSV vaccination programme launching this September will help to prevent thousands of cases of RSV, GP visits and hospital admissions.
Around 20,000 babies under 1 are hospitalised with RSV in the UK each year. Sadly we see 20 to 30 infant deaths as well. You can have the RSV vaccine from week 28 of your pregnancy. Having the RSV vaccination in pregnancy reduces your baby’s risk of severe RSV lung infection by around 70% in the first 6 months of life. Speak to your maternity service or GP practice to arrange an appointment
Saltash Tunnel Technology upgrade
Autumn 2024 to Autumn 2025
National Highways is starting the next phase of a major modernisation upgrade of the A38 Saltash Tunnel in Cornwall this autumn.
This represents a £25 million investment from National Highways to improve journeys between south east Cornwall and Plymouth, and maintain the safe operation of the tunnel for many years to come.
The tunnel and its reversible lane, which allows traffic to travel in either direction depending on the time of day or conditions, rely on specialised technology to operate and keep drivers safe.
The current ‘tunnel & lane control system’ is over 20 years old, approaching the end of its life and is being replaced and upgraded as part of an extensive programme of work. This will keep everyone using the tunnel safe, provide more reliable journeys and reduce the risk of unplanned closures.
Forming a key route between Plymouth and south east Cornwall, any work on the tunnel has to be carefully planned. National Highways is liaising with local stakeholders and its construction team to refine how these essential renewals are delivered with the least disruption to the south east Cornwall community and drivers.
Work is currently due start at the end of November with weeknight closures of the tunnel. These will continue until the work is finished.
There will be speed restrictions and narrow lanes being installed westbound between St Budeaux and the Tamar Bridge from early 2025 to allow work to be carried out in the verges.
In early to mid-2025, the current control system will need to be turned off and removed to allow installation of the new system. This means there will only be one lane open in each direction for A38 traffic through the tunnel, which will be fixed as the traffic can no longer be dynamically controlled.
The Tamar Bridge will retain its four traffic lanes. There will be one lane fixed in each direction for A38 traffic, a lane dedicated for Saltash Town only in the westbound direction and the eastbound cantilever open for local and ‘tag only’ traffic.
This work should finish in autumn 2025.
More details around the work and closures, including dates, will be available on the National Highways webpage as the scheme progresses: nationalhighways.co.uk/SaltashTunnel. And for any questions, you can contact the National Highways Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000 (open 24/7), who will direct your enquiry to the team, or email: info@nationalhighways.co.uk.
New online tool for finding out care costs
Unlike health care, adult social care services are not free. We can work out a personal budget for the support you need.
If you have less than £23,250 in capital, you may be eligible for some help with the cost of your care. The amount you pay will depend on your:
capital
assets
income
savings
benefits
You may have to pay for all of the costs, or you may be able to apply for financial help.
There's a new online eligibility checker to find out if you may be able to receive financial help.
£3,900 for five minutes of your time?
Could you, or someone you know, be entitled to Pension Credit and be missing out on an average £3,900 extra a year?
Before bills go up this winter, spend 5 minutes using the government's online 'can I claim Pension Credit?' checker tool and find out.
You might be allowed to claim even if you:
have savings
own your own home
are working
are getting a small occupational pension
have been turned down in the past
Remember, you can report lots of things to us online like:
missed waste collections
fly tipping
full litter bins
graffiti
broken street lights
potholes
abandoned vehicles
Borrow a blood pressure monitor with your next library book
You can now borrow a blood pressure monitor free of charge from your local library, just like you borrow a book - all you need is a library card.
Around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure, although many don't realise it.
Known as the silent killer, high blood pressure rarely causes symptoms but, if left untreated, increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The borrow a blood pressure monitor scheme launched as part of this week's Know your Numbers Week - the national campaign encouraging people to check their blood pressure at home.
The 2050 Cornwall Plan
Uniting our efforts as Team Cornwall, we are collectively driven by the guiding light of the 2050 Cornwall Plan.
Launched in 2020, this visionary plan was shaped by input from approximately 4,000 residents, who voiced their desires for a fairer, more inclusive, and cleaner, greener Cornwall. The plan's resounding call to action is for Cornwall to lead the way in sustainable living, safeguarding the well-being of future generations.
With boundless opportunities on the horizon, from renewable energy to critical minerals and space exploration, we are unwavering in our determination to seize these prospects and realise our ambitious 2050 Vision.
The 2050 Cornwall Plan can be found here, it outlines our ambitious goals and roadmap for sustainable growth, innovation, and positive impact over the next three decades.
The annual residents’ survey captures valuable feedback directly from our community members, allowing us to better understand and address their needs and concerns.
Why are we seeing so many potholes?
We're responsible for around 7,300 km of Cornwall's roads, which laid end-to-end would stretch all the way from Lands End to Vancouver, Canada.
That's a lot of road to maintain! As part of their work, our highways crews have filled over 45,000 potholes during the last year - more than double compared with the same period in 2022/23.
Why are we seeing so many potholes? And what is the Council doing about it? Find out why in this short film
What happens when you report a pothole?
Our highways inspectors regularly check our roads for potholes and other defects, but did you know you can report pot holes and other road issues to us too through our website?
Find out more about what happens once you report a pothole by watching this short film. You can report potholes and a range of other issues on the 'Report it' page of our website, just hit the link below and scroll down to 'Roads and parking'.
Free Move More classes for over 65s
People in Cornwall aged 65 and over now have access to free classes aimed at helping them to build strength and balance and reduce the risk of falling.
Called Move More, the programme is provided by Falmouth-based company iCareiMove and funded by Cornwall Council's Public Health team.
West Cornwall Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre is there for you!
There are a range of locally provided places you can access health and care from every day of the week all without an appointment - from your local pharmacy, minor injury units and West Cornwall Hospital’s urgent treatment centre.
Some places are open late including the urgent treatment centre, which is open every day from 8am until midnight and there is no need for an appointment!
The urgent treatment centre and 10 minor injury units can help you with ailments or injuries that need attention urgently but are not critical or life-threatening. From sprains and strains, minor fractures to cuts that need stitches, insect and animal bites to suspected infections these locally provided health units are there to help you.
Remember - the Pharmacy First service can also provide you with advice and treatments for minor ailments.
New scheme to help residents fund green home improvements
Homeowners in Cornwall can now apply for lower-cost loans to fund energy saving home improvements through a new Council-backed scheme.
The Green Home Improvement Scheme aims to fill the gaps for those who are ineligible for grants. Homeowners and private landlords can apply, however the scheme is not open to properties used as holiday lets or second homes.
Cornwall Council has appointed Lendology CIC to run the pilot scheme, which has been funded by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Fund. The Green Home improvement Loans Scheme has received £518,254 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
To find about more about the loan scheme visit the Lendology website or call Lendology on 01823 461099.
Do you need a HUG?
Warm up your home with the Home Upgrade Grant Scheme
Are you tired of high heating costs and a cold home? The Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) Scheme is here to help. This grant-funded energy efficiency scheme from the Government aims to improve the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of homes that do not use mains gas as their primary heat source.
We're working in partnership with OVO Energy Solutions to deliver this scheme across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. With a range of energy-saving measures, the scheme aims to reduce heating costs and improve general health and wellbeing.
The scheme runs until March 2025 and aims to help around 500 eligible homes.