We want to hear your views on proposals to improve the energy efficiency of Cornish homes and lower their emissions.

As part of our public consultation for our Draft Housing Decarbonisation Strategy please take a few moments to fill in our survey .

The plan outlines short, medium and long-term actions needed to make homes in Cornwall more energy efficient and to reduce their carbon emissions. It sets out key principles, targets and a possible timeline to help the council, homeowners and tenants start to decarbonise their homes.

The survey is open from now until 16 September.

Cat microchipping now a must

All pet cats must now be microchipped or their owners could face fines of up to £500 after new legislation came into force this week.

Cats that live free with little or no human contact or dependency, like farm, feral or community cats, don't have to be chipped.

But the new law says pet cats aged 20 weeks and older must be chipped and their owners' contact details stored on an approved pet microchipping database.

The new law has been introduced to make it easier to reunite lost and stray cats with their owners. Already compulsory for dogs, microchipping is proven to be the most effective way to identify lost pets and the average cost is just £25.

Fire kills: get out, stay out, call 999

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is reminding you to check your escape routes from your home in the event of a fire and make sure you have a working smoke alarm.

Help keep your loved ones safe by de-cluttering hallways and keep doorways and windows clear.

If you have children, disabled people or pets in the home, make a plan now about how they would get out in the event of a fire, and practice your escape routes, especially with children, to make sure everybody knows what to do in an emergency.

Station Manager Glen Beale, prevention lead at CFRS said: “Toxic smoke could leave you unconscious, so every second counts when escaping a fire.

"Having working smoke alarms and knowing the escape plan in an emergency could make all the difference.

“If you have dependants or someone you're caring for living with you, it could take them more time to get out, stay out and call 999.

"Make sure you’re always prepared, your exits are clear, and everyone knows what to do if the worst should happen.”

Diabetes and You online booking system launched

Have you recently been diagnosed or are you living with type 2 diabetes?

Diabetes doesn't have to rule your life. It can feel overwhelming, but no matter how long since your diagnosis, there's support support and information available that could make managing your condition easier.

If you're newly diagnosed

Diabetes and You is a free course  run by Kernow Health for people newly-diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They have face-to-face courses delivered with GP practices, as well as a virtual option for those who can't attend in person.

If you've been living with type 2 for a while

There are refresher courses for those who've been living with type 2 diabetes for a while and feel they'd benefit from some healthy lifestyle support to better manage their condition.

If you're a young person with early onset type 2

The Diabetes in the Young course is for young people with early onset type 2 diabetes.

People who go on these courses often feel more confident about managing their diabetes, making healthier food choices, looking after themselves and meeting other people with diabetes.

If you're supporting someone with diabetes, you can go along to a course with them.

Book directly yourself using a new online booking system. 

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'.

Chat children's health with the Chat Health text service

Chat Health is a text messaging service that links families and young people with health visitors and school nurses who can provide advice for newborns to teenagers on topics including:

• Sleep
• Child development
• Support with behaviour
• Toileting
• Feeding and nutrition
• Keeping safe and healthy
• Childhood illnesses and support with medical conditions at school
• Emotional, mental health and wellbeing
• Relationships
• Smoking and vaping
• Drugs and alcohol

• Young people aged 11-19 can text 07312 263 096 
• Parents or carers of children aged 0-4 can text 07312 263 423
• Parents or carers of children and young people aged 5-19 can text 07312 263 499

When a text message is sent, an automated reply confirms it has been received. A trained healthcare professional within the health visiting or school nursing teams will then reply within 48 hours.

Help give children a good start - become a childminder

Tell us your story...

Public libraries make a huge impact on the lives of many people in Cornwall. There are so many FREE resources and events available to all.

Do you know what’s happening in your local library? Why not follow us on Facebook or Instagram to find out what’s on offer.

Maybe you already use your local library and know about the range of free benefits that come with being a member?

If you use our libraries, we want to hear about how they have helped make a difference in your life. Whether it's our baby and toddler sessions bringing new parents together, free access to reading for everyone - how have you benefited from the community focus within our libraries?

Tell us what's made a difference so we can keep helping our Cornwall communities.

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.

New scheme to help residents fund green home improvements

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.

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.

Help if you're struggling to pay your Council Tax bill

If you have no income, or you're on a low income, you might be able to apply for help to pay your Council Tax bill.

You can claim Council Tax Support if you own your own home or rent.  You can also claim if you are working or unemployed.

Entitlement to Council Tax Support is based on how much income, capital and savings your household has.

If you're already in arrears please get in touch with our team. We can help you work out a plan, which might help you worry a little less. 

We also have lots of information on other financial support that might be available if you, or someone you know, is struggling on our worried about money webpage.

Join the 'Healthy Families Pilot' Programme

Do you want to help your family live a healthier lifestyle? Do you have a child aged 5-12 who is above their ideal weight? If so, you might be eligible for a new free programme from Healthy Cornwall and Gro Health.

This programme will give you and your family access to the Gro Health app, which is an award-winning tool to track your nutrition, activity, sleep and mood. You will also get personalised support and guidance from a health coach from the Healthy Cornwall team.

To apply you need to have at least one child aged 5-12 in your household who is above their ideal weight for their height and age. You can check this using this easy NHS BMI calculator.

But hurry, this is a pilot scheme and there are only 60 places available. Don't miss this chance to make a positive change for your family's health and happiness!

New jobs and careers website for Cornwall

There’s a new website for jobs, careers, courses, and skills for residents and businesses in Cornwall.
 
The website, created by Cornwall Council, aims to boost the economy by highlighting local career and training opportunities for people of all ages.
 
As well as jobs and apprenticeship opportunities, the website is full of useful information and tools for young people, adults, employers, teachers and parents. It provides information on upskilling, exploring new careers, getting your first step on the career ladder, preparing for interviews and more.

The site also includes a dedicated Employer Hub and a Hub for people with special educational needs.

Stop. Think Fraud!

Criminals are great pretenders. They may contact you pretending to be a trusted person or company.

A new national campaign Stop! Think Fraud aims to help you understand the different types of fraud and the tactics which criminals can use against you. 
 
The website helps you learn the tactics criminals use so you can see the different types of fraud, how to better protect yourselves and the people you know, as well as ways to report if you have been a victim of fraud.