CORNWALL Council’s Cabinet has agreed to invest more than £40million in providing new homes, workspace and extending the superfast broadband rollout.

The Cabinet met on Wednesday morning (June 19) and approved adding some new projects to the council’s investment programme with a value of £39.263m.

These include building 100 new homes in Bodmin, including 50 private market rent, 40 affordable homes and 10 private sale. The first homes will be available in 2021.

The council is also set to provide new workspace in Newquay at the Aerohub enterprise zone with 3,530 square metres which could support up to 100 jobs. Building work will start next year.

And the funding will also provide 1,500sqm of office space in Falmouth, which will be provided for an existing town company. Building will start in 2020 and be completed in 2021.

The council has also agreed to lead on the delivery of the third phase of the superfast broadband project in Cornwall.

The scheme has an overall value of £5.835m with £4.2m coming from the European Regional Development Fund and £1.635m from Cornwall Council.

Superfast Broadband has already helped deliver 3,500 jobs and added £300m GVA and 3,850 businesses to the Cornish economy.

Superfast 3, as it is known, will help provide access to at least 2,700 more premises across Cornwall which the council says will “maintain our enviable position as one of the best connected rural regions in the UK”.

Cabinet member Bob Egerton said: “This is expected to be the last tranche of European funding to deliver broadband and we feel we need to take advantage of this opportunity.

“This will not finish the job and there will remain some premises that cannot access superfast broadband.

“We must continue to explore further funding opportunities and ensure that those properties can also access broadband.”

The Cabinet approved both the projects unanimously.