West Cornwall · TR20
Extensions Ludgvan: TR20 planning, West Cornwall fabric
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. A TR20 site visit comes before a Ludgvan sketch, every time — Ludgvan is a hilltop village above the A30 north-east of Penzance, with views down to Mounts Bay and a substantial fifteenth-century church at its core, with a building stock that leans toward post-war bungalows and Victorian villas.
Ludgvan sits in West Cornwall — covering TR20 from Long Rock, Gulval outward.
- Conservation Area
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓ 30+ years of Cornwall Council approvals
- ✓ Local to West Cornwall — not a national franchise
- ✓ Same team on paper as on site
Local proof — We typically have one or two extension jobs live in the TR20 area at any time, so the local planning officers know our drawings on sight.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Ludgvan is its own job.
Conservation Area covers the village core including the church; AONB lies just to the south. Active parish input on edge-of-village schemes and isolated dwelling proposals. That sets the scene before any design work begins. For extension specifically, parts of Ludgvan 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. It's the kind of detail that decides whether a Ludgvan application gets approved at eight weeks or stalls in committee. The post-war bungalows that dominate Ludgvan (and continue out toward Long Rock) set the tone for any extension scheme here.
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 Ludgvan.
01
Drainage on older Cornish properties is rarely on a clean modern map; CCTV survey before design is often money well spent.
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
Wind and sea-spray exposure can drive material choices on west-facing extensions; we detail accordingly.
04
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.
Our process
How a Ludgvan 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 fabric
Why a West Cornwall studio is the right fit for Ludgvan extension.
Building stock
Across Ludgvan (TR20) we work on traditional granite cottages around the church, Victorian villas, post-war bungalows, modern infill on field-edge plots. Each stock type drives a different extension response — post-war bungalows in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Ludgvan is its own town in West Cornwall, with planning history that's specific to the TR20 catchment.
Coverage
We cover TR20 from our studio, with regular extension jobs also running in Long Rock, Gulval. Most Ludgvan site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Ludgvan site?
Usually within the same week. Ludgvan (TR20) is on our regular West Cornwall run, alongside Long Rock, Gulval. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Ludgvan Extensions — local questions answered.
- 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. In Ludgvan specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Other services in Ludgvan
Nearby places we cover
Most Ludgvan extension enquiries start with one honest conversation about what's actually allowed — and that conversation costs nothing.