North Cornwall · EX23 · Cornwall Council North
Design, planning and build for Widemouth Bay extension
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. Every Widemouth Bay project we take on begins with reading the local context — Widemouth Bay is a holiday-coast settlement in the EX23 area, with strong second-home demand and exposed coastal building conditions, with a building stock that leans toward replacement dwellings and detached houses.
Widemouth Bay sits in North Cornwall — just off the A39; covering EX23 from Bude, Stratton, Poughill outward.
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓Cornwall Council North sub-area regulars
- ✓AONB experience built into the fee
- ✓One studio — design, planning and build under one roof
- ✓Local to North Cornwall — not a national franchise
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Free Widemouth Bay feasibility call
Tell us about your extension. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Local proof — We typically have one or two extension jobs live in the EX23 area at any time, so the local planning officers know our drawings on sight.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Widemouth Bay is its own job.
Cornwall Council's lens on Widemouth Bay is consistent: planning scrutiny often focuses on visual impact, occupancy, parking, overlooking and whether replacement buildings respect the coastal edge. For extension specifically, 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 Widemouth Bay drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. That's why we treat every Widemouth Bay project as a EX23-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on. The replacement dwellings that dominate Widemouth Bay (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 Widemouth Bay.
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
Wind and sea-spray exposure can drive material choices on west-facing extensions; we detail accordingly.
03
Cornish granite and slate-hung walls react differently to new openings than modern brickwork — lintel choice and structural sequencing matter.
04
Drainage on older Cornish properties is rarely on a clean modern map; CCTV survey before design is often money well spent.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Widemouth Bay?
Both routes are open on a EX23 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Widemouth Bay 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 EX23 scope, not as one opaque figure
Scope
Where our work starts and stops on a EX23 project
These stages can be bought separately. Most EX23 projects use three of them.
Heritage and design statements
Written justification where designation makes the design case as important as the drawing.
Building regulation drawings
Full Plans sets with sections, construction notes and coordinated structural information.
Full design and build
One contract from first sketch to handover, with the same team on paper and on site.
Measured survey
An accurate record of what is actually there, which is where most avoidable cost is removed.
Structural coordination
Calculations coordinated with the drawings so building control sees one consistent story.
Who this is for
Our footing in North Cornwall
- Designated-area work is routine here, so heritage and landscape statements are produced alongside the drawings rather than outsourced.
- Drawings, planning and building regulations are all produced in-house, so a extension enquiry does not get passed between firms.
- Design and build are offered from the same studio, which means the person answering your Widemouth Bay questions has seen the detail built.
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.
Keep reading
Related EX23 pages
Widemouth Bay is covered from our Bude 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.
Our process
How a Widemouth Bay 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.
Quick check
Want a straight answer on whether your Widemouth Bay 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.
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Get a free feasibility view
For projects in Widemouth Bay and the EX23 area.
Local fabric
Why a North Cornwall studio is the right fit for Widemouth Bay extension.
Building stock
Across Widemouth Bay (EX23) we work on coastal bungalows, holiday lets, second homes, detached houses, replacement dwellings. Each stock type drives a different extension response — replacement dwellings in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Widemouth Bay sits in the parish of Widemouth Bay, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a extension application.
Coverage
We cover EX23 from our studio, with regular extension jobs also running in Bude, Stratton, Poughill. Most Widemouth Bay site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Widemouth Bay site?
Usually within the same week. Widemouth Bay (EX23) 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
Widemouth Bay 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 Widemouth Bay specifically, we'd start by checking AONB landscape sensitivity 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- We live in the house. Can a extension in Widemouth Bay 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 Widemouth Bay are often easier if you move out for a few weeks. We set that expectation at feasibility stage rather than halfway through.
- 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.
Widemouth Bay is part of Bude
Widemouth Bay sits inside the Bude catchment — we cover both as one extension territory.
See Extensions in Bude →Other services in Widemouth Bay
Nearby places we cover
Every Widemouth Bay extension we work on is treated as a EX23 job in its own right — local fabric, local policy, local builders. For the final position on any address, Cornwall Council or the Planning Portal is the place to confirm it.
Get the EX23 planning view before you draw Bodmin handles the planning end for EX23.
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