Roseland · TR2
One studio for extension in Gerrans
Extensions are the bread and butter of Cornish homes — adding the kitchen-diner the original layout never had, the bedroom for a growing family, or the light and views the back of the house should always have had. The way we approach extension in Gerrans starts with a measured walk-round — Gerrans is a coastal village in the TR2 area, where sea exposure, views and seasonal pressure shape most building decisions, with a building stock that leans toward granite cottages and holiday homes.
Gerrans sits in Roseland — covering TR2 from Portscatho, Truro, St Austell outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓ Measured-survey accuracy from day one
- ✓ One studio — design, planning and build under one roof
- ✓ Same team on paper as on site
- ✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
Local watch-list
Common Gerrans pitfalls we plan around.
Watch #1
Conservation Area material and fenestration controls in central Gerrans
Watch #2
AONB landscape-impact scrutiny on visible elevations
Watch #3
Coastal exposure driving fixing, render and joinery spec
Who this is for
Gerrans runs the full mix — owner-occupier, holiday-let, commercial and the occasional smallholding — so we scope every extension enquiry from the use-class up.
Local context
Why Gerrans is its own job.
Two things shape a Gerrans application: parish character and policy. On policy — coastal setting and landscape sensitivity mean rooflines, glazing, drainage and external materials need careful handling from the first sketch. For extension specifically, parts of Gerrans 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 Gerrans drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. Get that local reading right and the rest of the Gerrans programme tends to run on time. On granite cottages in particular — the kind you'll also find toward Newquay — the extension brief always has to read the existing fabric first.
Planning note
Most extensions in Cornwall are either permitted development or a straightforward householder application — but Conservation Area and AONB sites need a more careful design conversation upfront.
What we focus on
Extensions considerations specific to Gerrans.
01
Permitted development for rear extensions runs to four metres on a detached house, three on a semi or terrace — but Article 4 areas remove this in some parishes.
02
Extensions over a certain proportion of the original house trigger full Part L upgrade obligations to the existing building — worth knowing before brief is set.
03
Cornish granite and slate-hung walls react differently to new openings than modern brickwork — lintel choice and structural sequencing matter.
04
Wind and sea-spray exposure can drive material choices on west-facing extensions; we detail accordingly.
Our process
How a Gerrans extension project runs.
Step 1
Brief
We meet on site, talk through how you live now and what's missing from the current layout.
Step 2
Design
Two or three sketch directions with rough budgets, then refinement of the chosen route.
Step 3
Approvals
Planning or Cert of Lawfulness, then a full building regs package.
Step 4
Build
Either through your own builder with our drawings, or as a full build by our team.
Step 5
Handover
Snag, certify, hand over the keys to your new space.
Typical single-storey rear extensions run twelve to twenty weeks on site; two-storey and wraparound projects sixteen to thirty weeks.
FAQs
Gerrans Extensions — local questions answered.
- Can you handle the build as well as the design?
- Yes — that's the whole point of the studio. One contract, one point of contact, no finger-pointing between architect and builder when something needs a decision on site. In Gerrans specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- What about the Party Wall Act?
- If you share a wall with a neighbour or build close to a boundary, the Act applies. We flag it early, recommend a surveyor and keep the programme aligned with the notice period.
- How much does an extension cost in Cornwall?
- Build costs in Cornwall typically run from around £2,200 to £3,200 per square metre for a good-quality single-storey extension, more for kitchen-grade fit-out or complex glazing. We give a realistic budget before drawings start, not after.
- Will my house be liveable during the build?
- For most rear and side extensions, yes — we sequence the works so the kitchen and one bathroom stay functional until the new build is watertight and connected.
- How long does the whole process take?
- Allow roughly three months for design and approvals, then twelve to twenty weeks on site for a typical single-storey extension. Wraparounds and two-storey add-ons take longer, mostly through approval and groundworks.
Gerrans is the hub for these neighbourhoods
We run extensions across Gerrans and the surrounding TR2 neighbourhoods — same studio, same site team.
- Portscatho
TR2
Local proof — Recent extension enquiries from Gerrans have clustered around granite cottages — we know the route through Cornwall Council on these.
Get a free feasibility viewOther services in Gerrans
Nearby places we cover
Local neighbourhoods in Gerrans
The TR2 stretch of Roseland has its own rhythm; our extension work respects it, and Cornwall Council usually responds in kind.