East Cornwall · PL11
St John new build — feasibility first, drawings second
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 St John, that work is shaped by the place itself — St John is a creekside settlement in the PL11 area, with waterside homes, wooded valleys and narrow-lane access shaping the brief, with a building stock that leans toward converted barns and detached houses.
St John sits in East Cornwall — covering PL11 from Torpoint, Millbrook, Antony outward.
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
- ✓ 30+ years of Cornwall Council approvals
Who this is for
St John 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
Common St John pitfalls we plan around.
Watch #1
Tighter Local Plan tests on isolated rural dwellings
Local proof — Most St John homeowners come to us after a new build quote elsewhere felt vague on planning — we lead with feasibility instead.
Get a free feasibility viewFAQs
St John 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 St John 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Local context
Why St John is its own job.
Locally, creekside ecology, flood risk, trees and views across the water often matter as much as the building form itself. 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. Which is why we scope St John projects parish-up, not template-down — the PL11 context shapes the design from day one. Whether the project is on converted barns in the centre or further out toward Torpoint, 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 St John.
01
Cornwall's housing policy increasingly favours principal residence and replacement dwelling schemes over open-market new builds in some parishes.
02
Self-build CIL exemption requires the right documentation in the right order; missing a step costs five-figure sums.
03
Replacement dwellings have specific volumetric tests — getting the ratio between existing footprint and proposed floor area right is the difference between approval and refusal.
04
AONB and Heritage Coast designations apply to large stretches of the county; isolated new builds outside settlement boundaries face a much higher policy bar.
Our process
How a St John 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 St John homeowners pick a local studio for new build.
Building stock
Across St John (PL11) we work on creekside cottages, detached houses, boat sheds, converted barns, waterside homes. Each stock type drives a different new build response — converted barns in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
St John sits in the parish of St John, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a new build application.
Coverage
We cover PL11 from our studio, with regular new build jobs also running in Torpoint, Millbrook, Antony. Most St John site visits get booked within the same week.
What does a first St John consultation cost?
Nothing. We come to the property, walk the site, talk through what works on a PL11 plot and follow up with a written feasibility note inside a week — no obligation either way.
Request a free visitSt John is part of Torpoint
St John sits inside the Torpoint catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Torpoint →Other services in St John
Nearby places we cover
The new build jobs we're proudest of in St John are the ones where the planning route was clear before a single elevation was drawn.