North Cornwall · EX23 · Cornwall Council North
Permitted development in Bude — what's allowed without planning
Most Bude homeowners have more PD rights than they realise — but the Conservation Area removes the big ones (rear extensions, side extensions, cladding changes). Below is what's typically allowed on a EX23 property — and what catches people out. We prepare and submit planning applications to Cornwall Council and, where relevant, the Isles of Scilly authority — handling drawings, statements, validation queries and officer negotiation from start to determination. In Bude, that work is shaped by the place itself — Bude is the principal town of the far north coast, with a Victorian sea pool, broad surf beaches at Summerleaze and Crooklets, and a Conservation Area covering the canal and the older town centre, with a building stock that leans toward modern Persimmon-style estates and architect-designed coastal homes at Maer Cliff.
Bude sits in North Cornwall — just off the A39; with Truro the closest city; covering EX23 from Stratton, Kilkhampton, Marhamchurch outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓ Rear extension up to 3m (terraced/semi) without planning
- ✓ Loft volume up to 40m³ (terrace) under PD
- ✓ Outbuildings up to 2.5m eaves height
- ✓ Lawful Development Certificate from £100
Local proof — Recent planning application enquiries from Bude have clustered around modern Persimmon-style estates — we know the route through Cornwall Council on these.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Bude is its own job.
The planning backdrop in North Cornwall is real, not abstract: conservation Area covers the canal, the seafront and parts of the town centre. AONB and Heritage Coast across most of the parish boundary. Edge-of-town residential growth is significant. For planning application specifically, parts of Bude sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; the surrounding landscape falls inside the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so massing, height and landscape impact carry extra weight in any planning decision; coastal salt-laden air around Bude drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. Treat the EX23 parish brief as the design brief and the Bude application has somewhere to land. Whether the project is on modern Persimmon-style estates in the centre or further out toward Kilkhampton, the planning application response is locally tuned.
Planning note
Cornwall Council's planning team is among the busiest in the South West. A clean, well-documented submission moves through validation faster than a bare-minimum one.
What we focus on
Planning considerations specific to Bude.
01
Article 4 directions in some parishes remove permitted development rights you'd normally rely on elsewhere.
02
Cornwall has more than thirty Conservation Areas and large stretches of AONB; planning weight on materials, mass and form is significantly higher in those zones.
03
Tree Preservation Orders, ecology surveys and neighbour consultation responses can change the validation list mid-application.
04
Cornwall's Local Plan policies on second homes, holiday lets and principal residence restrictions affect what's likely to gain consent in some parishes.
Our process
How a Bude planning application project runs.
Step 1
Initial review
We assess constraints — Conservation Area, AONB, listed status, Article 4, TPOs, flood zone.
Step 2
Strategy
We recommend the right application type and likely fee, programme and supporting documents.
Step 3
Drawing and statement preparation
Plans, elevations, sections, block and location plans, plus DAS and any heritage or ecology input.
Step 4
Submission and validation
We upload to the Planning Portal, pay the council fee on your behalf and respond to validation requests.
Step 5
Determination
We monitor consultation, respond to officer queries and negotiate amendments where it improves the chances of approval.
Householder applications are typically eight to twelve weeks from validation; full planning runs thirteen to sixteen weeks; major or contentious schemes can take longer.
Local fabric
Why a North Cornwall studio is the right fit for Bude planning application.
Building stock
Across Bude (EX23) we work on Victorian seaside houses, Edwardian villas, post-war estates, modern Persimmon-style estates, architect-designed coastal homes at Maer Cliff. Each stock type drives a different planning application response — modern Persimmon-style estates in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Bude is its own town in North Cornwall, with planning history that's specific to the EX23 catchment.
Coverage
We cover EX23 from our studio, with regular planning application jobs also running in Stratton, Kilkhampton, Marhamchurch. Most Bude site visits get booked within the same week.
What does a first Bude consultation cost?
Nothing. We come to the property, walk the site, talk through what works on a EX23 plot and follow up with a written feasibility note inside a week — no obligation either way.
Request a free visitRecent work nearby
Belle Vue Victorian we ran last summer kept its painted-render front and reorganised behind the spine wall.
See more recent North Cornwall work →FAQs
Bude Planning — local questions answered.
- What's permitted development in Bude?
- Single-storey rear extensions up to 3m (terraced/semi) or 4m (detached), loft conversions up to 40m³ (terrace) or 50m³ (semi/detached), and most outbuildings under 2.5m eaves. Conservation Area removes side extensions, cladding and roof extensions from PD.
- Do I need to apply for anything if it's PD?
- Legally no, but a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) costs about £100 and gives Cornwall Council's confirmation in writing. We strongly recommend it for resale and for any neighbour disputes.
- What removes PD rights in Bude?
- Conservation Area designation, Article 4 directions, flats and maisonettes, and any deed restriction from a previous planning permission. We check all four before quoting.
- Do you handle listed building consent?
- Yes. Listed Building Consent runs alongside planning where works affect a listed structure, including some interior alterations. The drawing detail and Heritage Statement are fundamentally different from a standard planning pack. In Bude specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- How much does a planning application cost in Cornwall?
- Cornwall Council charges a fixed national fee — currently £258 for a householder application and £578 for a single new dwelling. Our fee for the drawings, statements and submission sits separately and depends on project complexity.
- What's the difference between full planning and householder?
- Householder covers extensions, outbuildings and alterations to a single dwelling. Full planning is needed for new dwellings, change of use, and anything affecting curtilage subdivision. We'll confirm which route fits at first review.
Bude is the hub for these neighbourhoods
We run planning across Bude and the surrounding EX23 neighbourhoods — same studio, same site team.
- Stratton
EX23
- Poughill
EX23
- Flexbury
EX23
- Widemouth Bay
EX23
- Marhamchurch
EX23
- Kilkhampton
EX23
- Morwenstow
EX23
- Shop
EX23
- Coombe Valley
EX23
Other services in Bude
A Lawful Development Certificate is cheap insurance on a Bude PD scheme — it pins down what's allowed before you build, and protects resale value.