Can I start work as soon as permission is granted?

Only if there are no pre-commencement conditions. Many Cornish consents carry conditions on materials, drainage or ecology that must be discharged first, and starting before that can render the permission unimplemented.

How long is planning permission valid?

Standard consents are typically valid for three years from the decision, within which a material start must be made. Renewal is not automatic and policy may have changed by then.

Does building regulations run alongside planning?

It can, and running the building regulations package in parallel with the tail end of the planning stage is the most common way to save real time on a project.

What is the fastest realistic route to starting on site?

A permitted development scheme with a lawful development certificate and a full plans building regulations application, run in parallel. Where the design fits, it is substantially quicker than a planning application.

Process · Cornwall

How long does a Cornwall project really take, from first call to starting on site?

The statutory determination period for a householder application is eight weeks, and thirteen for major schemes. That number is the smallest part of the answer. The realistic programme is set by the design stage before submission, validation, and the conditions that have to be discharged afterwards.

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The stages, in order

Each has a typical duration, and each can be compressed or blown out by decisions made earlier.

Measured survey and feasibility — days to a few weeks depending on access and the size of the building
Design and client review — usually the stage clients underestimate, because it involves decisions rather than production
Validation — the council checks the submission is complete; incomplete packs sit unvalidated and the clock does not start
Consultation — 21 days for neighbour and statutory consultee responses
Determination — eight weeks for householder applications, longer where an extension of time is agreed
Discharge of conditions — often forgotten, and it must be done before work covered by the condition begins

What actually causes delay

In our experience it is rarely the case officer. It is seasonal ecology surveys, a highways or drainage consultee response, an incomplete submission that fails validation, and clients understandably taking time over decisions that change the layout.

Where time can genuinely be saved

Ordering the survey early, deciding the brief properly before drawings start, commissioning ecology at the right point in the year, and submitting a complete pack first time. Everything else is largely outside anyone's control.

Frequently asked

Straight answers.

Can I start work as soon as permission is granted?: Only if there are no pre-commencement conditions. Many Cornish consents carry conditions on materials, drainage or ecology that must be discharged first, and starting before that can render the permission unimplemented.
How long is planning permission valid?: Standard consents are typically valid for three years from the decision, within which a material start must be made. Renewal is not automatic and policy may have changed by then.
Does building regulations run alongside planning?: It can, and running the building regulations package in parallel with the tail end of the planning stage is the most common way to save real time on a project.
What is the fastest realistic route to starting on site?: A permitted development scheme with a lawful development certificate and a full plans building regulations application, run in parallel. Where the design fits, it is substantially quicker than a planning application.

Working to a deadline?

Tell us when you want to be on site and we will map the stages backwards from it.

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