Mid Cornwall · TR2
New Builds Tresillian: 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. What works on a TR2 plot rarely works elsewhere — Tresillian is a village east of Truro at the head of the Tresillian River, AONB-designated, with a Conservation Area covering the village core, with a building stock that leans toward modern AONB-sensitive infill and post-war bungalows.
Tresillian sits in Mid Cornwall — covering TR2 from Truro, Tregony, Ladock outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ 30+ years of Cornwall Council approvals
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Local to Mid Cornwall — not a national franchise
- ✓ Same team on paper as on site
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 Tresillian is its own job.
Conservation Area covers the village; AONB across the parish. Riverside ecology and views shape applications on the southern edge. That sets the scene before any design work begins. For new build specifically, parts of Tresillian 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 Tresillian drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure; 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 Tresillian application gets approved at eight weeks or stalls in committee. The modern AONB-sensitive infill that dominate Tresillian (and continue out toward Ladock) 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 Tresillian.
01
Off-grid services — package treatment plants, borehole supply, off-mains gas — are common on rural Cornish plots and need designing, not assuming.
02
Self-build CIL exemption requires the right documentation in the right order; missing a step costs five-figure sums.
03
AONB and Heritage Coast designations apply to large stretches of the county; isolated new builds outside settlement boundaries face a much higher policy bar.
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 Tresillian 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 Tresillian homeowners pick a local studio for new build.
Building stock
Across Tresillian (TR2) we work on traditional cob and granite cottages, Victorian villas, Edwardian houses, post-war bungalows, modern AONB-sensitive infill. Each stock type drives a different new build response — modern AONB-sensitive infill in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Tresillian sits in the parish of St Erme, 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 Truro, Tregony, Ladock. Most Tresillian site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Tresillian site?
Usually within the same week. Tresillian (TR2) is on our regular Mid Cornwall run, alongside Truro, Tregony, Ladock. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Tresillian 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 Tresillian 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Tresillian is part of Truro
Tresillian sits inside the Truro catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Truro →Other services in Tresillian
Nearby places we cover
Designing a new build in Tresillian is as much about reading the parish as reading the brief; we do both, and the planning outcomes follow.