Work on the first two Cornwall Council Contemporary Cornish Living schemes is about to get underway in Tolvaddon and Bodmin, with plans for the initiative to deliver a total of 1,000 homes at sites all around Cornwall by 2022.

The former Bodmin St Lawrence Hospital site will see the development of 75 new affordable homes, while the site in Tolvaddon will deliver 38 new homes as well as three self-build plots. The proposed housing developments will be self-financing with the council using the money raised from renting and selling the homes to pay back the money it will borrow to undertake the developments.

Joyce Duffin, Cornwall Council’s cabinet member for housing and environment, said: “In Cornwall there is a huge demand for good quality homes to rent and buy. Fifty percent of homes in the private rented sector in Cornwall are below the Decent Home Standard.

“Because the market alone can’t meet the level of demand, we are using our Housing Development Programme to directly invest in and build attractive, high quality homes that people can afford in areas of high demand. Our aim is to deliver up to 1,000 homes over the next five years in developments that include market homes to buy and rent. The £240 million that our Housing Development Programme is investing in Cornwall’s economy will also create much needed construction jobs, provide local employment and bring skills development opportunities.”

The developments will be a mixture of one, two and three bedroomed homes and will include open market sale properties, and affordable and private rental properties. The feedback from local consultation events has shaped the developments and is reflected in the size and style of the homes that will be built, including the number of bedrooms, external finishes and internal layout.

Malcolm Moyle, Cornwall Councillor for Pool and Tehidy, said: “I’ve been involved in this site for the last two years and it’s a site which has been very carefully chosen to benefit all the local people who will have their homes here. We had a lot of consultation on the site and I was amazed at the number of people who came along and were heavily involved in choosing the types of homes which will be built on the site. Without question this will benefit local people who will have good quality homes built by Cornwall Council.”

Phil Mason, Cornwall Council service director for planning and sustainable development, said: “It is fantastic that we are soon to start on site building houses directly by the council. The important thing for me is about delivering the housing that we need for Cornwall which was set out in the Cornwall Local Plan and doing it really well. What we want to achieve are houses people can really live in, with space, gardens, parking and which are well designed with low energy costs.”

More information about the schemes is available at cornwall.gov.uk/cornishliving.