Launceston Town Council Information
Committees
A calendar of meetings, along with agendas and minutes for all Town Council Committees can be found on our website here – Read more
Full Council meets monthly, on the third Tuesday of the month except August and May – Read more
Planning and Economic Development Committee meets every three weeks. Members of the public are welcomed to speak with regard to any planning application on the agenda – Read more
Cornwall Council is responsible for matters relating to: council tax and business rates, benefits, refuse and recycling collection, roads, highways and parking, the registration service, education, social services including blue badges, fire and rescue, strategic planning, development control, trading standards and environmental health.
Cornwall Council can be contacted on 0300 1234 100
You can report a range of issues online by visiting Cornwall Council’s website.
Launceston Town Council provides a range of services, manages several properties and sites of historical interest and provides a number of social and recreational facilities for Launceston.
The Town Council acts as a lobbying force with regional and national government, appoints councillors to sit on outside organisations and works to promote and support Launceston.
Launceston Town Council has 16 councillors elected for a term of four years. The next Town Council elections are in May 2025.
Local Council Elections 2025
Council Elections are taking place on Thursday 1 May 2025 and all 16 Launceston Town Council seats will be up for election.
Launceston Town Council encourages all residents to get involved in the upcoming elections
Launceston’s Cornwall Council seats are also up for election. For more information on what Cornwall Councillors do, please visit Cornwall Council’s How to Stand as A Councillor page. https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/the-council-and-democracy/councillors-and-meetings/be-a-councillor/how-to-stand-as-a-councillor/
Cornwall Council organises and manages all voting processes in Cornwall.
Why get involved in the Town Council elections?
Launceston’s future is shaped by its Town Councillors, and you have the power to make a difference.
The Town Council’s decisions directly impact local services and the long-term vision for the town. Participating in the democratic process helps create a town that works for everyone.
What does Launceston Town Council do?
The Town Council plays a vital role in keeping our town vibrant, sustainable, and welcoming for residents, businesses, and visitors. It is responsible for key services and initiatives, including:
Cultural and Community Services – Managing venues like Launceston Town Hall, Lawrence House Museum and Launceston Library to provide cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities.
Public Spaces and Amenities – Maintaining parks, gardens, and public toilets to keep them clean, safe, and accessible.
Economic Growth and Regeneration – Supporting local businesses, promoting tourism, and encouraging sustainable development.
Environmental Sustainability – Implementing green initiatives, reducing waste, and promoting environmentally friendly initiatives.
How can you get involved?
Vote: The most direct way you can influence the future of our town is by voting for the candidate who you believe will best represent your interests and the wider community. Every vote counts.
New Library Hub – Updated 28 March
The Town Council has been advised that full planning permission has now been granted for the conversion of the former bank building into a multi-functional public library and visitor’s information centre with council offices.
Details regarding the application are available at:
http://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/
The application number is PA25/00380
Budget 2025/26 – Updated 3 February 2025
The Council has agreed its budget for 2025/26. The budget is calculated upon how much the Council requires to operate the services it provides and the staffing levels that are needed to provide those services. For the forthcoming financial year the expenditure of the Town Council is estimated to be £2,546,563. This total will be met by income generated from the Council’s assets, which are estimated at £234,164, grants to the value of £1,150,000 and the remainder will be raised by the Town Council’s share of the annual Council Tax bill (precept). The total sum of that for the year will be £1,162,399.
The cost of Council Tax is always shown as an average, which by default is a Band D property. To calculate this Band D cost, we divide the amount of precept we need, by the tax base we are provided by Cornwall Council. The calculation for this year means that Launceston Town Council will charge a Band D property £355.46. This is an increase of 9.59%. The majority of properties in Launceston are in Council Tax bands A to C, meaning that the amount paid by most properties will fall below the average annual charge. The total properties for the various bands for the town are;
BAND A | BAND B | BAND C | BAND D | BAND E | BAND F | BAND G | BAND H |
1,669 | 1,295 | 981 | 607 | 287 | 51 | 14 | 3 |
The chart below shows the costs for each respective band for houses in Launceston.
The second chart shows a breakdown of the daily costs for the services provided by the Town Council, based on a Band D property.
The amount charged by the Town Council forms part of the total annual Council Tax bill that all households receive and that bill includes all of the services provided by Cornwall Councill as well as by the Police Service.
Latest Updates
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Transparency
The 2015 Local Government Transparency Code sets out the data that local authorities should publish in the public domain. It was issued to meet the Government’s desire to place more power into citizens’ hands to increase democratic accountability and make it easier for local people to contribute to the local decision making process and help shape public services. Information can easily be found by navigating to relevant pages on this site. Some information which is harder to categorise has been grouped here for your convenience. Please follow the links below to find the data quickly and easily:
Launceston Town Council Accessibility Statement 2020
Statement of Internal Control 2024
Notice of Conclusion of Audit 2023/24
Audited Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2023/24
Neighbourhood Portion of CiL Report 2023-24
If you are looking for something specific which you cannot find on this website please call the office.
Launceston Town Council Accessibility Statement
Overview
Launceston Town Council strives to ensure that its services are accessible to all and we aim to provide a website that is made easier to use and more accessible for people with disabilities, as every person has the right to live with dignity, equality, comfort and independence.
Accessibility
Our website makes use of an Accessibility Widget to allow us to improve compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1).
Enabling the Accessibility Menu
The Accessibility Menu can be enabled by clicking the accessibility menu icon that appears on the right hand side of the website.
Here For You
If you are experiencing difficulty with any content or require assistance with any part of our site, please contact us during normal business hours as detailed below and we will be happy to assist.
Website Documentation
We are aware that, as per the Accessibility Regulations of 2018, that scanned PDF documentation is not in compliance. Launceston Town Council holds alternative formats of the documents which are able to be provided on request.
Disclaimer
We continue in our efforts to constantly improve the accessibility of this site and services to allow seamless, accessible and unhindered use for those of us with disabilities.
However please be advised that some content may not have yet been fully adapted to the strictest accessibility standards. This may be a result of not having found or identified the most appropriate technological solution.
Contact Us
If you wish to report an accessibility issue, have any questions or need assistance, please contact Launceston Town Council as follows; Email
Telephone 01566 773693
Office opening hours Monday to Friday 9 am to 1 pm
September 2020
Launceston Town Hall is the largest and most exciting venue in North Cornwall for live music, theatre, comedy, cinema, markets and shows.
The Hall is an award winning building with state of the art lighting and sound systems, it is fully licensed, adjacent to a 128 space multi-storey car park (which is free after 6pm), and even boasts under floor heating to ensure the 450 capacity Main Hall is nice and toasty on the darkest winter nights! For box office for most events, or general enquiries please call Launceston Visitor Information Centre on 01566 772321.
Launceston Town Council's Venues and Locations for Hire
Welcome to the website for Launceston Town Council
If you are looking for information not currently on the website please contact the office 01566 773693