North Cornwall · EX23
New Builds Coombe Valley: EX23 planning, North Cornwall fabric
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 EX23 site visit comes before a Coombe Valley sketch, every time — Coombe Valley is a small rural hamlet in the EX23 area, with scattered homes, lanes and a deliberately quiet settlement pattern, with a building stock that leans toward cottages and small infill homes.
Coombe Valley sits in North Cornwall — covering EX23 from Bude, Stratton, Poughill outward.
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
- ✓ rural policy area experience built into the fee
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓ Measured-survey accuracy from day one
Local proof — We typically have one or two new build 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 Coombe Valley is its own job.
The main planning test is usually whether the proposal remains subordinate, locally detailed and acceptable on access, drainage and neighbour amenity. That sets the scene before any design work begins. For new build 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 Coombe Valley application gets approved at eight weeks or stalls in committee. The cottages that dominate Coombe Valley (and continue out toward Poughill) 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 Coombe Valley.
01
Off-grid services — package treatment plants, borehole supply, off-mains gas — are common on rural Cornish plots and need designing, not assuming.
02
Self-build CIL exemption requires the right documentation in the right order; missing a step costs five-figure sums.
03
AONB and Heritage Coast designations apply to large stretches of the county; isolated new builds outside settlement boundaries face a much higher policy bar.
04
Replacement dwellings have specific volumetric tests — getting the ratio between existing footprint and proposed floor area right is the difference between approval and refusal.
Our process
How a Coombe Valley 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 EX23.
Building stock
Across Coombe Valley (EX23) we work on cottages, farmhouses, converted barns, bungalows, small infill homes. Each stock type drives a different new build response — cottages in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Coombe Valley sits in the parish of Coombe Valley, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a new build application.
Coverage
We cover EX23 from our studio, with regular new build jobs also running in Bude, Stratton, Poughill. Most Coombe Valley site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Coombe Valley site?
Usually within the same week. Coombe Valley (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
Coombe Valley New Builds — local questions answered.
- 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. In Coombe Valley specifically, we'd start by checking the latest parish-level planning history before committing to a direction.
- Can I build a new house on my plot in Cornwall?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Coombe Valley is part of Bude
Coombe Valley sits inside the Bude catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Bude →Other services in Coombe Valley
Nearby places we cover
Most Coombe Valley new build enquiries start with one honest conversation about what's actually allowed — and that conversation costs nothing.