What the Council Does
Launceston Town Council has 16 councillors elected from the community of Launceston for a term of four years. Councillors promote and represent the Town and provide a voice for Launceston, they are unpaid and undertake their duties on a voluntary basis. The next Town Council elections are in May 2025. The Town Council is the tier of government most closely connected to its community, it sits below both Central Government (Parliament) and Cornwall Council and actively works to support and promote the town. Launceston Town Council acts as a lobbying force with regional and national government, ensuring that the wishes and needs of this community are heard. In addition to ensuring that Launceston is represented within other national and statutory bodies, the Town Council also appoints councillors to sit on outside organisations (for example; community groups and clubs) to help to ensure that the whole community is represented.
The Town Council Planning Committee considers all planning applications within the Parish of Launceston and as such it acts as a statutory consultee to Cornwall Council (it is Cornwall Council that has the authority to grant or deny planning permission). Cornwall Council also consults the Town Council on such subjects as boundary review, County Structure Plan, Local Transport Plan and the Development Plan. The legal powers of Launceston Town Council are granted to it and regulated by various Government Acts and it meets the eligibility criteria for the General Power of Competence.
In addition to providing focused representation and community led strategic planning, Launceston Town Council provides a range of services of benefit to the Town, social and recreational facilities, some amenities and a number of properties and sites of interest. For more information on our properties and services please click here.
Cornwall Council is responsible for matters relating to council tax, education, social services including blue badges, benefits, highways, fire and rescue, the registration service, environmental health, refuse collection, economic development and major recreational facilities. Cornwall Council can be contacted on 0300 1234 100
To report a range of issues online visit Cornwall Council’s website by clicking here
How the Council Works
The Civic Year runs from May to April with the election of the Mayor, the Chairman of Council and the Deputy taking place at the Annual Statutory Meeting in May. These roles are filled by councillors who have been nominated and voted for by their councillor colleagues.
The Council operates on a programme of Full Council meetings on the third Tuesday in every month (except August) at 7.00pm, with Committee Chairmen having special responsibility for the various “umbrella” subjects i.e. Finance and General Purposes and Estates and Properties (see Committees page). Exceptions to this are the AGM in May, which is held on the third Thursday following the first Monday of the month at 2.00pm in the Town Hall, and August when no meeting is held.
Subject matters are brought before Council by means of the Agenda which is issued a minimum of three clear days before a meeting and is posted on the Town Hall public notice board and on this website.
To view the minutes and agendas of the Town Council Committees please go to the Committees Pages of this website.