South Cornwall · TR3 · Cornwall Council Central
One studio for extension in Playing Place
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. Playing Place sits in South Cornwall, and that geography ends up in the drawings — Playing Place is a residential village south of Truro on the A39, with strong commuter demand and steady infill development pressure, with a building stock that leans toward small modern estates and Edwardian and Victorian cottages on the fringes.
Playing Place sits in South Cornwall — just off the A39; covering TR3 from Truro, Carnon Downs, Kea outward.
- ✓One studio — design, planning and build under one roof
- ✓Local to South Cornwall — not a national franchise
- ✓Cornwall Council Central sub-area regulars
- ✓Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
Free · No obligation
Free Playing Place feasibility call
Tell us about your extension. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Playing Place?
Both routes are open on a TR3 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Playing Place clients take the drawings, tender them locally, then come back to us for the build if the numbers do not stack up.
- Route one: feasibility, planning and a tender-ready technical pack
- Route two: the same pack, then the build under one contract
- Either way the survey and feasibility work is identical, so the decision can wait
- Fees quoted per stage against the TR3 scope, not as one opaque figure
Scope
Scope options for Playing Place clients
Not every project needs every stage. On a Playing Place job we scope to what the site and the consent route actually require.
Measured survey
An accurate record of what is actually there, which is where most avoidable cost is removed.
Full design and build
One contract from first sketch to handover, with the same team on paper and on site.
Planning application drawings
Existing and proposed plans, elevations, site and block plans drawn to validation standard.
Construction and technical drawings
1:10 and 1:20 details for the parts of the job builders normally have to guess at.
Building regulation drawings
Full Plans sets with sections, construction notes and coordinated structural information.
Local watch-list
Common Playing Place pitfalls we plan around.
Watch #1
Trussed roofs and shallow foundations in the later TR3 estates, which change the structural strategy
Who this is for
Straight facts about working with us here
- Design and build are offered from the same studio, which means the person answering your Playing Place questions has seen the detail built.
- Drawings, planning and building regulations are all produced in-house, so a extension enquiry does not get passed between firms.
- Applications for Playing Place are handled through Cornwall Council, with Truro the nearest planning office we deal with regularly.
Planning rules change and every site is different. For the final position on your address, check with Cornwall Council as the local planning authority or the Planning Portal.
What we focus on
Extensions considerations specific to Playing Place.
01
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.
02
Cornish granite and slate-hung walls react differently to new openings than modern brickwork — lintel choice and structural sequencing matter.
03
Wind and sea-spray exposure can drive material choices on west-facing extensions; we detail accordingly.
04
Drainage on older Cornish properties is rarely on a clean modern map; CCTV survey before design is often money well spent.
Quick check
Want a straight answer on whether your Playing Place project is worth pursuing?
Send a few details — we'll come back within 1 working day with a plain-English view on planning risk, likely cost band and whether it's a project we'd take on.
Free · No obligation
Get a free feasibility view
For projects in Playing Place and the TR3 area.
Local context
Why Playing Place is its own job.
Two things shape a Playing Place application: parish character and policy. On policy — outside Conservation Area and AONB. Kea parish operates active input on infill schemes; sewerage capacity has shaped some recent decisions. For extension specifically, Playing Place sits outside the headline designations, which usually gives a slightly more flexible starting point — but parish-level character still matters. Get that local reading right and the rest of the Playing Place programme tends to run on time. On small modern estates in particular — the kind you'll also find toward Kea — 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.
Our process
How a Playing Place 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
Playing Place 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 Playing Place specifically, we'd start by checking the latest parish-level planning history 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.
- We live in the house. Can a extension in Playing Place be done while we stay put?
- Usually yes for single-storey and rear work, with a temporary kitchen or bathroom arrangement agreed before the start. Whole-house remodels and roof work in Playing Place are often easier if you move out for a few weeks. We set that expectation at feasibility stage rather than halfway through.
- 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.
Playing Place is part of Truro
Playing Place sits inside the Truro catchment — we cover both as one extension territory.
See Extensions in Truro →Keep reading
Where to go next from Playing Place
Playing Place is covered from our Truro run. Being a smaller place, the local detail matters more than the headline policy: lane access, neighbour proximity and what the immediate street already looks like.
Other services in Playing Place
Nearby places we cover
A Playing Place extension can be bought in stages, and most clients decide the build route after feasibility. Edwardian and Victorian cottages on the fringes in particular need a tailored structural answer.
Get a feasibility view on your Playing Place home Bring the deeds, we will bring the survey kit for the extension.
Free · No obligation
Book a free visit in Playing Place
No obligation. Reply usually same working day.