East Cornwall · PL14
Herodsfoot new builds — a East Cornwall studio
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. In Herodsfoot, that work is shaped by the place itself — Herodsfoot is a small rural hamlet in the PL14 area, with scattered homes, lanes and a deliberately quiet settlement pattern, with a building stock that leans toward converted barns and bungalows.
Herodsfoot sits in East Cornwall — covering PL14 from Looe, Duloe, Lanreath outward.
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓ rural policy area experience built into the fee
- ✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
Who this is for
Herodsfoot 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.
Local watch-list
Herodsfoot-specific issues we screen on the first visit.
Watch #1
Tighter Local Plan tests on isolated rural dwellings
Local proof — Most Herodsfoot new build clients we work with are second-time builders — they've seen the templated approach fail once already.
Get a free feasibility viewFAQs
Herodsfoot New Builds — local questions answered.
- 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. In Herodsfoot 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.
Local context
Why Herodsfoot is its own job.
The planning backdrop in East Cornwall is real, not abstract: the main planning test is usually whether the proposal remains subordinate, locally detailed and acceptable on access, drainage and neighbour amenity. 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. Treat the PL14 parish brief as the design brief and the Herodsfoot application has somewhere to land. Whether the project is on converted barns in the centre or further out toward Looe, the new build response is locally tuned.
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 Herodsfoot.
01
Replacement dwellings have specific volumetric tests — getting the ratio between existing footprint and proposed floor area right is the difference between approval and refusal.
02
Cornwall's housing policy increasingly favours principal residence and replacement dwelling schemes over open-market new builds in some parishes.
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
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 Herodsfoot 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 PL14.
Building stock
Across Herodsfoot (PL14) we work on cottages, farmhouses, converted barns, bungalows, small infill homes. Each stock type drives a different new build response — converted barns in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Herodsfoot sits in the parish of Herodsfoot, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a new build application.
Coverage
We cover PL14 from our studio, with regular new build jobs also running in Looe, Duloe, Lanreath. Most Herodsfoot site visits get booked within the same week.
What does a first Herodsfoot consultation cost?
Nothing. We come to the property, walk the site, talk through what works on a PL14 plot and follow up with a written feasibility note inside a week — no obligation either way.
Request a free visitHerodsfoot is part of Looe
Herodsfoot sits inside the Looe catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Looe →Other services in Herodsfoot
Nearby places we cover
The new build jobs we're proudest of in Herodsfoot are the ones where the planning route was clear before a single elevation was drawn.