South Cornwall · PL23
Design, planning and build for Bodinnick 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 PL23 site visit comes before a Bodinnick sketch, every time — Bodinnick is a creekside settlement in the PL23 area, with waterside homes, wooded valleys and narrow-lane access shaping the brief, with a building stock that leans toward creekside cottages and waterside homes.
Bodinnick sits in South Cornwall — covering PL23 from Fowey, Golant, Mixtow outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓ 30+ years of Cornwall Council approvals
- ✓ Same team on paper as on site
- ✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
- ✓ Measured-survey accuracy from day one
Local proof — We typically have one or two new build jobs live in the PL23 area at any time, so the local planning officers know our drawings on sight.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Bodinnick is its own job.
Cornwall Council's lens on Bodinnick is consistent: creekside ecology, flood risk, trees and views across the water often matter as much as the building form itself. For new build specifically, parts of Bodinnick 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; coastal salt-laden air around Bodinnick drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. That's why we treat every Bodinnick project as a PL23-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on. The creekside cottages that dominate Bodinnick (and continue out toward Mixtow) 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 Bodinnick.
01
Cornwall's housing policy increasingly favours principal residence and replacement dwelling schemes over open-market new builds in some parishes.
02
Off-grid services — package treatment plants, borehole supply, off-mains gas — are common on rural Cornish plots and need designing, not assuming.
03
Replacement dwellings have specific volumetric tests — getting the ratio between existing footprint and proposed floor area right is the difference between approval and refusal.
04
AONB and Heritage Coast designations apply to large stretches of the county; isolated new builds outside settlement boundaries face a much higher policy bar.
Our process
How a Bodinnick 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
Why Bodinnick homeowners pick a local studio for new build.
Building stock
Across Bodinnick (PL23) we work on creekside cottages, detached houses, boat sheds, converted barns, waterside homes. Each stock type drives a different new build response — creekside cottages in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Bodinnick sits in the parish of Bodinnick, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a new build application.
Coverage
We cover PL23 from our studio, with regular new build jobs also running in Fowey, Golant, Mixtow. Most Bodinnick site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Bodinnick site?
Usually within the same week. Bodinnick (PL23) is on our regular South Cornwall run, alongside Fowey, Golant, Mixtow. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Bodinnick New Builds — local questions answered.
- Can I build a new house on my plot in Bodinnick?
- 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 Bodinnick 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.
- How long does the whole project take?
- Allow six to twelve months for design and approvals, then ten to fourteen months on site for a typical four-bedroom new build. Complex sites or long planning routes extend that.
- 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.
Bodinnick is part of Fowey
Bodinnick sits inside the Fowey catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Fowey →Other services in Bodinnick
Nearby places we cover
Most Bodinnick new build enquiries start with one honest conversation about what's actually allowed — and that conversation costs nothing.