Roseland · TR2 · Cornwall Council Mid
Design, planning and build for Portloe 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. What works on a TR2 plot rarely works elsewhere — Portloe is a harbour-side settlement in the TR2 area, with compact lanes, coastal exposure and a working-waterfront character, with a building stock that leans toward harbour cottages and steep-lane houses.
Portloe sits in Roseland — just off the A3078; covering TR2 from Veryan, Pendower, Truro outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓Cornwall Council Mid sub-area regulars
- ✓Local to Roseland — not a national franchise
- ✓Same team on paper as on site
- ✓Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
Free · No obligation
Free Portloe feasibility call
Tell us about your new build. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Local proof — Our Roseland workload means a Portloe new build project never has to wait for an out-of-county team to drive down.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Portloe is its own job.
Cornwall Council's lens on Portloe is consistent: harbour settings bring tight access, overlooking, flood risk and heritage character into play on even modest alterations. For new build specifically, parts of Portloe 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 Portloe drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. That's why we treat every Portloe project as a TR2-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on. The harbour cottages that dominate Portloe (and continue out toward Truro) 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 Portloe.
01
Self-build CIL exemption requires the right documentation in the right order; missing a step costs five-figure sums.
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
Off-grid services — package treatment plants, borehole supply, off-mains gas — are common on rural Cornish plots and need designing, not assuming.
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.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Portloe?
Both routes are open on a TR2 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Portloe 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 TR2 scope, not as one opaque figure
Scope
Where our work starts and stops on a TR2 project
Not every project needs every stage. On a Portloe job we scope to what the site and the consent route actually require.
Planning application drawings
Existing and proposed plans, elevations, site and block plans drawn to validation standard.
Full design and build
One contract from first sketch to handover, with the same team on paper and on site.
Heritage and design statements
Written justification where designation makes the design case as important as the drawing.
Building regulation drawings
Full Plans sets with sections, construction notes and coordinated structural information.
Measured survey
An accurate record of what is actually there, which is where most avoidable cost is removed.
Who this is for
Our footing in Roseland
- 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 Portloe 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 TR2 pages
Portloe is covered from our Veryan 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 Portloe 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 Portloe 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.
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Get a free feasibility view
For projects in Portloe and the TR2 area.
Local fabric
Why Portloe homeowners pick a local studio for new build.
Building stock
Across Portloe (TR2) we work on harbour cottages, net lofts, granite terraces, holiday flats, steep-lane houses. Each stock type drives a different new build response — harbour cottages in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Portloe sits in the parish of Portloe, 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 Veryan, Pendower, Truro. Most Portloe site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Portloe site?
Usually within the same week. Portloe (TR2) is on our regular Roseland run, alongside Veryan, Pendower, Truro. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Portloe New Builds — local questions answered.
- Can I build a new house on my plot in Portloe?
- 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 Portloe 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.
- We live in the house. Can a new build in Portloe 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 Portloe are often easier if you move out for a few weeks. We set that expectation at feasibility stage rather than halfway through.
- 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.
Portloe is part of Veryan
Portloe sits inside the Veryan catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Veryan →Other services in Portloe
Nearby places we cover
In short: take the drawings and run your own build in Portloe, or keep it under one contract. Both routes start the same way. Applications are dealt with through Cornwall Council, with St Austell the office we deal with most for TR2.
Book a site visit in the TR2 area St Austell handles the planning end for TR2.
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Book a free visit in Portloe
No obligation. Reply usually same working day.