Roseland · TR2
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 — covering TR2 from Veryan, Pendower, Truro outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Local to Roseland — not a national franchise
- ✓ Same team on paper as on site
- ✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
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.
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.
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.
- 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
Designing a new build in Portloe is as much about reading the parish as reading the brief; we do both, and the planning outcomes follow.