North Cornwall · EX23
Widemouth Bay 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. On a Widemouth Bay site, the brief always meets the place — Widemouth Bay is a holiday-coast settlement in the EX23 area, with strong second-home demand and exposed coastal building conditions, with a building stock that leans toward holiday lets and replacement dwellings.
Widemouth Bay sits in North Cornwall — covering EX23 from Bude, Stratton, Poughill outward.
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓ AONB experience built into the fee
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
Who this is for
Widemouth Bay 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
The EX23 constraints that shape a new build brief.
Watch #1
AONB landscape-impact scrutiny on visible elevations
Watch #2
Coastal exposure driving fixing, render and joinery spec
Local proof — Our North Cornwall workload means a Widemouth Bay new build project never has to wait for an out-of-county team to drive down.
Get a free feasibility viewFAQs
Widemouth Bay 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 Widemouth Bay specifically, we'd start by checking AONB landscape sensitivity before committing to a direction.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Local context
Why Widemouth Bay is its own job.
Locally, planning scrutiny often focuses on visual impact, occupancy, parking, overlooking and whether replacement buildings respect the coastal edge. For new build specifically, 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 Widemouth Bay drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. Which is why we scope Widemouth Bay projects parish-up, not template-down — the EX23 context shapes the design from day one. Whether the project is on holiday lets in the centre or further out toward Bude, 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 Widemouth Bay.
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
Cornwall's housing policy increasingly favours principal residence and replacement dwelling schemes over open-market new builds in some parishes.
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
Self-build CIL exemption requires the right documentation in the right order; missing a step costs five-figure sums.
Our process
How a Widemouth Bay 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 Widemouth Bay homeowners pick a local studio for new build.
Building stock
Across Widemouth Bay (EX23) we work on coastal bungalows, holiday lets, second homes, detached houses, replacement dwellings. Each stock type drives a different new build response — holiday lets in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Widemouth Bay sits in the parish of Widemouth Bay, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a new build application.
Coverage
We cover EX23 from our studio, with regular new build jobs also running in Bude, Stratton, Poughill. Most Widemouth Bay site visits get booked within the same week.
What does a first Widemouth Bay consultation cost?
Nothing. We come to the property, walk the site, talk through what works on a EX23 plot and follow up with a written feasibility note inside a week — no obligation either way.
Request a free visitWidemouth Bay is part of Bude
Widemouth Bay sits inside the Bude catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Bude →Other services in Widemouth Bay
Nearby places we cover
From initial feasibility to final handover, we manage new build projects across Widemouth Bay with careful attention to what makes North Cornwall unique.