Mid Cornwall · PL30
One studio for extension in Lanlivery
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. Working in Lanlivery means starting from the PL30 context — Lanlivery is a rural parish in the PL30 area, with farmsteads, lanes and scattered homes defining its built character, with a building stock that leans toward rural cottages and scattered modern homes.
Lanlivery sits in Mid Cornwall — covering PL30 from Lostwithiel, Lerryn, St Winnow outward.
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ One studio — design, planning and build under one roof
- ✓ Local to Mid Cornwall — not a national franchise
- ✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
- ✓ Measured-survey accuracy from day one
Our process
How a Lanlivery 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.
Local proof — Most Lanlivery extension clients we work with are second-time builders — they've seen the templated approach fail once already.
Get a free feasibility viewWhat we focus on
Extensions considerations specific to Lanlivery.
01
Drainage on older Cornish properties is rarely on a clean modern map; CCTV survey before design is often money well spent.
02
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.
03
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.
04
Cornish granite and slate-hung walls react differently to new openings than modern brickwork — lintel choice and structural sequencing matter.
Local context
Why Lanlivery is its own job.
Two things shape a Lanlivery application: parish character and policy. On policy — open-countryside policy, access lanes, drainage and agricultural building history all need to be addressed before drawings go too far. For extension specifically, 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. Get that local reading right and the rest of the Lanlivery programme tends to run on time. On rural cottages in particular — the kind you'll also find toward Sweetshouse — 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.
Local watch-list
What usually catches extension projects out in Lanlivery.
Watch #1
Tighter Local Plan tests on isolated rural dwellings
Lanlivery is part of Lostwithiel
Lanlivery sits inside the Lostwithiel catchment — we cover both as one extension territory.
See Extensions in Lostwithiel →Local fabric
One PL30 studio, one extension job — start to finish.
Building stock
Across Lanlivery (PL30) we work on farmhouses, converted barns, rural cottages, smallholdings, scattered modern homes. Each stock type drives a different extension response — rural cottages in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Lanlivery sits in the parish of Lanlivery, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a extension application.
Coverage
We cover PL30 from our studio, with regular extension jobs also running in Lostwithiel, Lerryn, St Winnow. Most Lanlivery site visits get booked within the same week.
Can you handle both planning and build in Lanlivery?
Yes — design, planning, building regs and full construction run under one roof. For clients with an existing Lanlivery builder we can stop at a tender-ready Full Plans pack instead.
Request a free visitWho this is for
Lanlivery runs the full mix — owner-occupier, holiday-let, commercial and the occasional smallholding — so we scope every extension enquiry from the use-class up.
FAQs
Lanlivery Extensions — local questions answered.
- How much does an extension cost in Lanlivery?
- 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. In Lanlivery specifically, we'd start by checking the latest parish-level planning history before committing to a direction.
- 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.
- 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.
- Do I need planning permission for an extension?
- Often no — single-storey rear extensions, side extensions and modest two-storey additions can sit inside permitted development on a typical detached house. Conservation Areas, AONB and Article 4 zones remove some of those rights, so we always check the address first.
- 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.
Other services in Lanlivery
Nearby places we cover
If you're balancing ambition against PL30 planning realism, our Lanlivery extension work threads that needle without the usual drama.