East Cornwall · PL18 · Cornwall Council East
Design, planning and build for Gunnislake 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. Every Gunnislake project we take on begins with reading the local context — Gunnislake is a former mining settlement in the PL18 area, with granite terraces, chapel buildings and industrial landscape character still visible, with a building stock that leans toward post-war estates and workers cottages.
Gunnislake sits in East Cornwall — just off the A38; covering PL18 from Callington, Stoke Climsland, Linkinhorne outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornish Mining World Heritage Site
- ✓Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
- ✓Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
- ✓Measured-survey accuracy from day one
Free · No obligation
Free Gunnislake feasibility call
Tell us about your new build. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Local proof — Most Gunnislake homeowners come to us after a new build quote elsewhere felt vague on planning — we lead with feasibility instead.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Gunnislake is its own job.
Cornwall Council's lens on Gunnislake is consistent: mining heritage, old plot widths and traditional materials make proportion and detailing more important than generic extension templates. For new build specifically, parts of Gunnislake sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; the wider area forms part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, which adds a heritage assessment layer to most material changes. That's why we treat every Gunnislake project as a PL18-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on. The post-war estates that dominate Gunnislake (and continue out toward Linkinhorne) 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 Gunnislake.
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
Off-grid services — package treatment plants, borehole supply, off-mains gas — are common on rural Cornish plots and need designing, not assuming.
04
Cornwall's housing policy increasingly favours principal residence and replacement dwelling schemes over open-market new builds in some parishes.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Gunnislake?
Both routes are open on a PL18 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Gunnislake 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 PL18 scope, not as one opaque figure
Scope
Where our work starts and stops on a PL18 project
Not every project needs every stage. On a Gunnislake job we scope to what the site and the consent route actually require.
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.
Building regulation drawings
Full Plans sets with sections, construction notes and coordinated structural information.
Structural coordination
Calculations coordinated with the drawings so building control sees one consistent story.
Construction and technical drawings
1:10 and 1:20 details for the parts of the job builders normally have to guess at.
Who this is for
Our footing in East 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 new build enquiry does not get passed between firms.
- Design and build are offered from the same studio, which means the person answering your Gunnislake 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 PL18 pages
Gunnislake is covered from our Callington 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 Gunnislake 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.
Quick check
Want a straight answer on whether your Gunnislake 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.
Free · No obligation
Get a free feasibility view
For projects in Gunnislake and the PL18 area.
Local fabric
Why Gunnislake homeowners pick a local studio for new build.
Building stock
Across Gunnislake (PL18) we work on miners cottages, granite terraces, chapel conversions, workers cottages, post-war estates. Each stock type drives a different new build response — post-war estates in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Gunnislake sits in the parish of Gunnislake, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a new build application.
Coverage
We cover PL18 from our studio, with regular new build jobs also running in Callington, Stoke Climsland, Linkinhorne. Most Gunnislake site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Gunnislake site?
Usually within the same week. Gunnislake (PL18) is on our regular East Cornwall run, alongside Callington, Stoke Climsland, Linkinhorne. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Gunnislake 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 Gunnislake specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary 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.
- 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 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.
- We live in the house. Can a new build in Gunnislake 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 Gunnislake are often easier if you move out for a few weeks. We set that expectation at feasibility stage rather than halfway through.
- 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.
Gunnislake is part of Callington
Gunnislake sits inside the Callington catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Callington →Other services in Gunnislake
Nearby places we cover
If you're balancing ambition against PL18 planning realism, our Gunnislake new build work threads that needle without the usual drama. Mining-landscape visibility adds a heritage layer worth budgeting for.
Get the PL18 planning view before you draw Liskeard handles the planning end for PL18.
Free · No obligation
Book a free visit in Gunnislake
No obligation. Reply usually same working day.