Mid Cornwall · TR2 · Cornwall Council Mid
New Builds Probus: TR2 planning, Mid Cornwall fabric
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 Probus project we take on begins with reading the local context — Probus is a substantial inland village between Truro and St Austell, with the tallest church tower in Cornwall and a Conservation Area covering the village centre, with a building stock that leans toward post-war estates and Edwardian villas.
Probus sits in Mid Cornwall — just off the A390; covering TR2 from Grampound, Ladock, Tresillian outward.
- Conservation Area
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓30+ years of Cornwall Council approvals
- ✓Same team on paper as on site
- ✓Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
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Free Probus feasibility call
Tell us about your new build. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Local proof — We typically have one or two new build jobs live in the TR2 area at any time, so the local planning officers know our drawings on sight.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Probus is its own job.
Conservation Area covers the village core including the church. Tregothnan Estate (the largest private estate in Cornwall) lies to the south and shapes some adjacent applications. That sets the scene before any design work begins. For new build specifically, parts of Probus sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; 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. It's the kind of detail that decides whether a Probus application gets approved at eight weeks or stalls in committee. The post-war estates that dominate Probus (and continue out toward Tresillian) set the tone for any new build scheme here. Historic fabric changes the sequence: survey first, then design around what the building can take. Consent routes for listed buildings sit separately from ordinary planning, so treat any general guidance here as a starting point and check with Cornwall Council. Rural and moorland plots bring access, drainage and landscape impact into the conversation early. Agricultural conversions in particular follow their own route, and whether a building qualifies is a question for the local planning authority rather than a general rule.
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 Probus.
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
Cornwall's housing policy increasingly favours principal residence and replacement dwelling schemes over open-market new builds in some parishes.
04
Off-grid services — package treatment plants, borehole supply, off-mains gas — are common on rural Cornish plots and need designing, not assuming.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Probus?
Both routes are open on a TR2 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Probus 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
These stages can be bought separately. Most TR2 projects use three of them.
Structural coordination
Calculations coordinated with the drawings so building control sees one consistent story.
Planning application drawings
Existing and proposed plans, elevations, site and block plans drawn to validation standard.
Construction and technical drawings
1:10 and 1:20 details for the parts of the job builders normally have to guess at.
Heritage and design statements
Written justification where designation makes the design case as important as the drawing.
Full design and build
One contract from first sketch to handover, with the same team on paper and on site.
Who this is for
Our footing in Mid 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 Probus 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
We cover Probus and the wider TR2 district directly. New Builds enquiries here are common enough that we know the constraints before the first visit.
Our process
How a Probus 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 Probus 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 Probus and the TR2 area.
Local fabric
Why Probus homeowners pick a local studio for new build.
Building stock
Across Probus (TR2) we work on traditional cob and granite cottages, Victorian terraces, Edwardian villas, post-war estates, modern Persimmon-style estates. Each stock type drives a different new build response — post-war estates in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Probus is its own town in Mid Cornwall, with planning history that's specific to the TR2 catchment.
Coverage
We cover TR2 from our studio, with regular new build jobs also running in Mid Cornwall. Most Probus site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Probus site?
Usually within the same week. Probus (TR2) is on our regular Mid Cornwall run, alongside Mid Cornwall. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Probus 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 Probus 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.
- We live in the house. Can a new build in Probus 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 Probus are often easier if you move out for a few weeks. We set that expectation at feasibility stage rather than halfway through.
- 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.
- 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.
Other services in Probus
Nearby places we cover
For Probus homeowners weighing up a new build, the right starting point is honest feasibility — that's what we lead with, before any drawings. Here that means the Conservation Area boundary decides the route before the design does.
Scope your Probus project stage by stage New Builds enquiries here usually start with a walk round.
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