By Julia Penhaligon

Only 332 people responded to Cornwall Council’s public consultation about its new culture strategy, which is the basis for spending £170,000 a year on promoting the Cornish language.  The total number of fluent Cornish language speakers worldwide is only 500.

The figure for public consultation responses represents less than 0.06% of Cornwall’s population.  The £170,000 for the Cornish language is part of a total annual “culture spend” of nearly £0.5 million.

An overwhelming majority of those 332 “strongly agreed” that County Hall has the right policy.  44% of respondents were aged over 60.  Only 23% were aged under 50.  3% actually work for the council.

The public consultation ran for nearly six weeks in March and April.  Overall, 80% of the 332 respondents agreed with the council’s cultural spending plans.

As with the council’s much-criticised budget consultation last year, which did not offer any opportunity to reject the proposed 4.99% increase in council tax, the cultural public consultation offered no alternative to the council’s plans.

The strategy claims that cultural activities contribute £291 million annually to Cornwall's economy - which, if true, makes the sector three times more valuable than Newquay Airport (according to County Hall) yet which absorbs vastly more public subsidy.

The strategy reveals that the figure of "£40 returned for every £1 invested," quoted by cabinet member councillor Sarah Preece, is actually "social value" - which is much more difficult to quantify.

The new culture strategy goes to the council’s ruling Liberal Democrat-Independent cabinet next week.