Mid Cornwall · TR4 · Cornwall Council Mid
One studio for new build in Shortlanesend
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. Shortlanesend sits in Mid Cornwall, and that geography ends up in the drawings — Shortlanesend is a small village just north-west of Truro on the B3284, in Kenwyn parish, with a primary school, post office and a steady stream of infill applications, with a building stock that leans toward barn conversions and 1960s and 1970s bungalows.
Shortlanesend sits in Mid Cornwall — just off the A390; covering TR4 from Truro, Threemilestone outward.
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
- ✓Measured-survey accuracy from day one
- ✓rural policy area experience built into the fee
- ✓Local to Mid Cornwall — not a national franchise
Free · No obligation
Free Shortlanesend feasibility call
Tell us about your new build. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Shortlanesend?
Both routes are open on a TR4 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Shortlanesend 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 TR4 scope, not as one opaque figure
Scope
Scope options for Shortlanesend clients
Not every project needs every stage. On a Shortlanesend 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.
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.
Planning application drawings
Existing and proposed plans, elevations, site and block plans drawn to validation standard.
Measured survey
An accurate record of what is actually there, which is where most avoidable cost is removed.
Local watch-list
Common Shortlanesend pitfalls we plan around.
Watch #1
Local Plan tests on isolated dwellings, plus lane access for plant and deliveries around Shortlanesend
Watch #2
Party Wall notices and shallow roof voids typical of traditional cottages in the TR4 district
Watch #3
Trussed roofs and shallow foundations in the later TR4 estates, which change the structural strategy
Who this is for
Straight facts about working with us here
- Drawings, planning and building regulations are all produced in-house, so a new build enquiry does not get passed between firms.
- Applications for Shortlanesend are handled through Cornwall Council, with St Austell the nearest planning office we deal with regularly.
- Design and build are offered from the same studio, which means the person answering your Shortlanesend 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.
What we focus on
New Builds considerations specific to Shortlanesend.
01
Off-grid services — package treatment plants, borehole supply, off-mains gas — are common on rural Cornish plots and need designing, not assuming.
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
Self-build CIL exemption requires the right documentation in the right order; missing a step costs five-figure sums.
04
Cornwall's housing policy increasingly favours principal residence and replacement dwelling schemes over open-market new builds in some parishes.
Quick check
Want a straight answer on whether your Shortlanesend 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 Shortlanesend and the TR4 area.
Local context
Why Shortlanesend is its own job.
Two things shape a Shortlanesend application: parish character and policy. On policy — outside Conservation Area and AONB but bordered by the Allet AONB area. Kenwyn parish operates active input on edge-of-village sites. 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. Get that local reading right and the rest of the Shortlanesend programme tends to run on time. On barn conversions in particular — the kind you'll also find toward Truro — the new build brief always has to read the existing fabric first.
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.
Our process
How a Shortlanesend 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.
FAQs
Shortlanesend New Builds — local questions answered.
- 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. In Shortlanesend specifically, we'd start by checking the latest parish-level planning history before committing to a direction.
- We live in the house. Can a new build in Shortlanesend 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 Shortlanesend 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 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.
Shortlanesend is part of Truro
Shortlanesend sits inside the Truro catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Truro →Keep reading
Where to go next from Shortlanesend
Shortlanesend is covered from our Truro 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.
Other services in Shortlanesend
Nearby places we cover
Designing a new build in Shortlanesend is as much about reading the parish as reading the brief; we do both, and the planning outcomes follow. Parish-level consultation in Kenwyn is worth planning for, not reacting to.
Get a feasibility view on your Shortlanesend home Bring the deeds, we will bring the survey kit for the new build.
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