North Cornwall · EX22
Extensions Whitstone: EX22 planning, North 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. What works on a EX22 plot rarely works elsewhere — Whitstone is a rural parish in the EX22 area, with farmsteads, lanes and scattered homes defining its built character, with a building stock that leans toward rural cottages and converted barns.
Whitstone sits in North Cornwall — covering EX22 from Bude, Stratton, Poughill outward.
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
- ✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
- ✓ Measured-survey accuracy from day one
Local proof — Most Whitstone homeowners come to us after a extension quote elsewhere felt vague on planning — we lead with feasibility instead.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Whitstone is its own job.
Open-countryside policy, access lanes, drainage and agricultural building history all need to be addressed before drawings go too far. That sets the scene before any design work begins. 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. It's the kind of detail that decides whether a Whitstone application gets approved at eight weeks or stalls in committee. The rural cottages that dominate Whitstone (and continue out toward Poughill) 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 Whitstone.
01
Cornish granite and slate-hung walls react differently to new openings than modern brickwork — lintel choice and structural sequencing matter.
02
Drainage on older Cornish properties is rarely on a clean modern map; CCTV survey before design is often money well spent.
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
Wind and sea-spray exposure can drive material choices on west-facing extensions; we detail accordingly.
Our process
How a Whitstone 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
Choosing a extension team that actually knows EX22.
Building stock
Across Whitstone (EX22) 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
Whitstone sits in the parish of Whitstone, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a extension application.
Coverage
We cover EX22 from our studio, with regular extension jobs also running in Bude, Stratton, Poughill. Most Whitstone site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Whitstone site?
Usually within the same week. Whitstone (EX22) is on our regular North Cornwall run, alongside Bude, Stratton, Poughill. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Whitstone Extensions — local questions answered.
- 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. In Whitstone specifically, we'd start by checking the latest parish-level planning history before committing to a direction.
- 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.
- 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.
Whitstone is part of Bude
Whitstone sits inside the Bude catchment — we cover both as one extension territory.
See Extensions in Bude →Other services in Whitstone
Nearby places we cover
Designing a extension in Whitstone is as much about reading the parish as reading the brief; we do both, and the planning outcomes follow.