Mid Cornwall · TR2
Probus architectural design — feasibility first, drawings second
We prepare site-specific concept design, planning drawings and supporting documents that give your project the strongest possible chance of consent — and a clear path through Cornwall Council's planning process. In Probus, that work is shaped by the place itself — Probus is a substantial inland village between Truro and St Austell, with the tallest church tower in Cornwall and a Conservation Area covering the village centre, with a building stock that leans toward post-war estates and Edwardian villas.
Probus sits in Mid Cornwall — covering TR2 from Grampound, Ladock, Tresillian outward.
- Conservation Area
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Conservation Area experience built into the fee
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
Who this is for
Probus runs the full mix — owner-occupier, holiday-let, commercial and the occasional smallholding — so we scope every architectural design enquiry from the use-class up.
Local watch-list
Common Probus pitfalls we plan around.
Watch #1
Conservation Area material and fenestration controls in central Probus
Watch #2
Tighter Local Plan tests on isolated rural dwellings
Local proof — Recent architectural design enquiries from Probus have clustered around post-war estates — we know the route through Cornwall Council on these.
Get a free feasibility viewFAQs
Probus Architectural Design — local questions answered.
- Do you produce building regulations drawings as well?
- Yes. Once planning is approved we prepare the full building regs package — sections, construction details, structural coordination and specification — drawn at 1:50 and 1:10 so the builder and building control have everything they need. In Probus specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- Do I need planning permission or is it permitted development?
- It depends on the property, the size and position of the works, and whether you are in a Conservation Area, AONB or Article 4 area. We'll review your address against the General Permitted Development Order at first consultation and tell you straight.
- What happens if planning is refused?
- We review the officer's reasons, advise honestly on the strength of an appeal, and where a redesign is the better route, prepare a revised scheme. The free re-submission window inside twelve months can be used strategically.
- Will you visit the site before designing?
- Always. Cornish sites have wind, light, slope and access quirks that don't show up on a Google Street View. A site visit is built into every fee proposal.
- Can you handle a Certificate of Lawfulness instead?
- Yes — for permitted development work it's worth the small extra step. You get a formal council certificate confirming your build is lawful, which protects you on resale and is often required by mortgage lenders.
Local context
Why Probus is its own job.
Locally, conservation Area covers the village core including the church. Tregothnan Estate (the largest private estate in Cornwall) lies to the south and shapes some adjacent applications. For architectural design specifically, parts of Probus sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; Cornwall Council's Local Plan applies tighter tests to isolated rural dwellings here, so design rationale and policy fit need to be set out clearly from the outset. Which is why we scope Probus projects parish-up, not template-down — the TR2 context shapes the design from day one. Whether the project is on post-war estates in the centre or further out toward Grampound, the architectural design response is locally tuned.
Planning note
Whether your project is permitted development, a householder application or full planning, the route through Cornwall Council shapes the drawings we prepare from day one.
What we focus on
Architectural Design considerations specific to Probus.
01
Design and Access Statements are increasingly scrutinised — generic templates rarely cut it on sensitive Cornish sites.
02
Listed buildings and curtilage structures need a separate Listed Building Consent application, drawn at a level of detail beyond standard planning.
03
Pre-application advice often saves months on contentious sites; we factor it into the programme where it adds value.
04
Highways, drainage and ecology consultees can quietly determine an outcome long before the planning officer does.
Our process
How a Probus architectural design project runs.
Step 1
Brief and site visit
We meet on site, walk the plot and listen to how you want to live in the finished space.
Step 2
Feasibility and sketch options
Two or three design directions tested against budget, planning policy and site constraints.
Step 3
Concept refinement
We develop the chosen direction into a coordinated set of plans, elevations and sections.
Step 4
Planning submission
We submit the application, monitor it through validation and respond to any officer queries.
Step 5
Decision and next stage
On approval we move into building regulations and tender drawings.
Most architectural-only commissions run from a few weeks for small householder applications to several months for new builds and listed work.
Local fabric
Why Probus homeowners pick a local studio for architectural design.
Building stock
Across Probus (TR2) we work on traditional cob and granite cottages, Victorian terraces, Edwardian villas, post-war estates, modern Persimmon-style estates. Each stock type drives a different architectural design response — post-war estates in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Probus is its own town in Mid Cornwall, with planning history that's specific to the TR2 catchment.
Coverage
We cover TR2 from our studio, with regular architectural design jobs also running in Grampound, Ladock, Tresillian. Most Probus site visits get booked within the same week.
What does a first Probus consultation cost?
Nothing. We come to the property, walk the site, talk through what works on a TR2 plot and follow up with a written feasibility note inside a week — no obligation either way.
Request a free visitOther services in Probus
Nearby places we cover
The architectural design jobs we're proudest of in Probus are the ones where the planning route was clear before a single elevation was drawn.