East Cornwall · PL30
Design, planning and build for Blisland new build
A bespoke new build is the longest project we do, and the most rewarding. From plot appraisal through planning, building regulations and construction, you work with one team from the first sketch to the handover walk-round. A PL30 site visit comes before a Blisland sketch, every time — Blisland is a Bodmin Moor village with a substantial central green ringed by a Norman church, granite cottages and a tight Conservation Area, with a building stock that leans toward post-war bungalows and Victorian villas.
Blisland sits in East Cornwall — covering PL30 from Bodmin outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Same team on paper as on site
- ✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
- ✓ Measured-survey accuracy from day one
Local proof — Most Blisland new build clients we work with are second-time builders — they've seen the templated approach fail once already.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Blisland is its own job.
Cornwall Council's lens on Blisland is consistent: conservation Area covers the green and church area; Bodmin Moor AONB across the parish. Isolated dwelling policy applies strictly across the moor. For new build specifically, parts of Blisland sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; 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; 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. That's why we treat every Blisland project as a PL30-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on. The post-war bungalows that dominate Blisland (and continue out toward Bodmin) set the tone for any new build scheme here.
Planning note
Cornwall's planning policy on new dwellings is among the most restrictive in England outside Greater London. The first conversation should be a planning conversation, not a design one.
What we focus on
New Builds considerations specific to Blisland.
01
AONB and Heritage Coast designations apply to large stretches of the county; isolated new builds outside settlement boundaries face a much higher policy bar.
02
Replacement dwellings have specific volumetric tests — getting the ratio between existing footprint and proposed floor area right is the difference between approval and refusal.
03
Self-build CIL exemption requires the right documentation in the right order; missing a step costs five-figure sums.
04
Off-grid services — package treatment plants, borehole supply, off-mains gas — are common on rural Cornish plots and need designing, not assuming.
Our process
How a Blisland new build project runs.
Step 1
Plot review
Site visit, planning history check, designation review and an honest feasibility verdict.
Step 2
Concept design
Sketches that test the plot in massing, orientation and approach before any drawings are committed.
Step 3
Planning
Pre-app, full planning, consultee management and condition discharge.
Step 4
Technical design and build prep
Building regs, structural design, services strategy and contractor procurement.
Step 5
Construction and handover
Build delivered under contract administration with regular client reviews.
Most bespoke new builds run eighteen to thirty months from instruction to keys, depending on site, planning route and build complexity.
Local fabric
Choosing a new build team that actually knows PL30.
Building stock
Across Blisland (PL30) we work on traditional granite cottages around the green, Victorian villas, post-war bungalows, modern AONB-sensitive infill, renovated farmsteads. Each stock type drives a different new build response — post-war bungalows in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Blisland is its own town in East Cornwall, with planning history that's specific to the PL30 catchment.
Coverage
We cover PL30 from our studio, with regular new build jobs also running in Bodmin, Lanivet. Most Blisland site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Blisland site?
Usually within the same week. Blisland (PL30) is on our regular East Cornwall run, alongside Bodmin, Lanivet. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Blisland New Builds — local questions answered.
- Can I build a new house on my plot in Blisland?
- Sometimes yes, sometimes no — and the honest answer needs a planning policy review of the specific site. Settlement boundary, designations, access and policy on isolated dwellings all weigh in. We give a frank read at first consultation rather than a sales pitch. In Blisland specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- Can you handle a self-build for me?
- Yes — from feasibility to handover. Many of our clients start as 'self-builders' on paper, then hand the actual build to us once they realise how much project management it takes.
- How much does a new build cost?
- Realistic budgets in Cornwall start around £2,800 per square metre for a good-quality build and rise quickly with bespoke joinery, large glazing, complex sites and high-spec finishes. We work to your number, not against it.
- What about utilities, drainage and access?
- All designed and applied for as part of the package — water, electric, off-mains drainage where mains isn't viable, and highways access agreement with Cornwall Council where required.
- What's a replacement dwelling and is mine eligible?
- If a habitable dwelling exists on the plot, you can often replace it — within volumetric and design constraints set by Cornwall's Local Plan. Derelict structures sometimes qualify, sometimes don't, depending on lawful use history.
Other services in Blisland
Nearby places we cover
Most Blisland new build enquiries start with one honest conversation about what's actually allowed — and that conversation costs nothing.