Roseland · TR2
Bespoke New Builds in Gerrans
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. The Gerrans version of this work has its own character — Gerrans is a coastal village in the TR2 area, where sea exposure, views and seasonal pressure shape most building decisions, with a building stock that leans toward granite cottages and holiday homes.
Gerrans sits in Roseland — covering TR2 from Portscatho, Truro, St Austell outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓ One studio — design, planning and build under one roof
- ✓ Local to Roseland — not a national franchise
- ✓ Same team on paper as on site
- ✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
Our process
How a Gerrans 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 proof — Recent new build enquiries from Gerrans have clustered around granite cottages — we know the route through Cornwall Council on these.
Get a free feasibility viewWhat we focus on
New Builds considerations specific to Gerrans.
01
Cornwall's housing policy increasingly favours principal residence and replacement dwelling schemes over open-market new builds in some parishes.
02
AONB and Heritage Coast designations apply to large stretches of the county; isolated new builds outside settlement boundaries face a much higher policy bar.
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
Self-build CIL exemption requires the right documentation in the right order; missing a step costs five-figure sums.
Local context
Why Gerrans is its own job.
Coastal setting and landscape sensitivity mean rooflines, glazing, drainage and external materials need careful handling from the first sketch. For new build specifically, parts of Gerrans 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 Gerrans drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. So every Gerrans job runs as a TR2-specific piece of work — local policy, local fabric, local builders. Most of our new build work in Gerrans lands on granite cottages, with detailing that has to nod to the wider Truro streetscape.
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.
Local watch-list
Common Gerrans pitfalls we plan around.
Watch #1
Conservation Area material and fenestration controls in central Gerrans
Watch #2
AONB landscape-impact scrutiny on visible elevations
Watch #3
Coastal exposure driving fixing, render and joinery spec
Gerrans is the hub for these neighbourhoods
We run new builds across Gerrans and the surrounding TR2 neighbourhoods — same studio, same site team.
- Portscatho
TR2
Local fabric
What sets a Gerrans new build brief apart.
Building stock
Across Gerrans (TR2) we work on granite cottages, rendered coastal houses, holiday homes, bungalows, replacement dwellings. Each stock type drives a different new build response — granite cottages in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Gerrans sits in the parish of Gerrans, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a new build application.
Coverage
We cover TR2 from our studio, with regular new build jobs also running in Portscatho, Truro, St Austell. Most Gerrans site visits get booked within the same week.
Do you work in Gerrans regularly?
Yes — Gerrans and the wider TR2 catchment are core territory. We're typically on a Roseland site at least once a week, so logistics are baked in, not bolted on.
Request a free visitWho this is for
Gerrans runs the full mix — owner-occupier, holiday-let, commercial and the occasional smallholding — so we scope every new build enquiry from the use-class up.
FAQs
Gerrans New Builds — local questions answered.
- 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. In Gerrans specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- 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.
- 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.
Other services in Gerrans
Nearby places we cover
Local neighbourhoods in Gerrans
If you're considering a new build project in the TR2 area, our deep understanding of Gerrans's architectural character can help navigate the process smoothly.