I should imagine, emmie, that the main reason there are huge numbers of tourists in Cornwall is because, apart from agriculture, Ginster’s Pies & Pasties, a bit of clotted cream and the small number of China Clay workings around St Austell, that is about the only industry that the county sustains. I think without the tourists the Cornish economy would be in very dire straits indeed and those who believe there are too many visitors should be careful of what they wish for.
As for the “blow-ins” as they are rather unkindly called, It is doubtful that the premises they acquire for their second homes would be occupied at all if they were not used as such. It is all very well suggesting that they have driven out the local population, but if the local population had any work they might not have left the properties vacant. At least whilst they are there the part-time residents put some cash into the local economy and of course they pay a year’s council tax for far less than a year‘s occupancy.
Cornwall has long suffered from low investment and relatively low levels of industry mainly because of its geographical location. One thing which may have helped is a proper railway line connecting the west of the county to Devon and beyond. It is scandalous that so-called “Inter City” trains trundles their way across the Tamar after leaving Plymouth, most of them stopping at a dozen stops in less than 80 miles and constrained by a lengthy single track stretch between St. Austell and Truro. All this over a route built in the 1850s and 60s. This route was built with the minimum of capital and the result is a line with tortuous bends and gradients that even today’s trains have difficulty in maintaining more than about 40mph average.
But back to the question, schemes like the one announced today do nothing to ease these problems. The Cornish do not need government to enable them to preserve a separate identity and the £120k pocket money is an insult. They are part of the UK and no more need a separate identity than people in Chester do. What they need is inclusion, investment and - most of all - a decent railway line.
By the way, emmie, the Ship Inn is lovely as is the whole of Fowey. Last time I was there I was talking to a local shopkeeper who was dreading the impending arrival of the first of the season’s cruise liners which they tow backwards from the sea and moor in the estuary. Fowey gets no trade from these visitors as all that happens is that the town gets clogged up for a day whilst they bus the passengers to and from the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens. After that the cruisers return to their boat for victuals. Net income for Fowey - probably less than nil as I expect a lot of people who might otherwise visit are put off by the congestion.