Mid Cornwall · TR2 · Cornwall Council Mid
Design, planning and build for Probus renovation
Cornish housing stock is brilliant and infuriating in equal measure. We renovate cottages, farmhouses, mid-century homes and post-war estates — opening up layouts, fixing damp, adding light and bringing the property up to a standard worth living in. What works on a TR2 plot rarely works elsewhere — 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 traditional cob and granite cottages and modern Persimmon-style estates.
Probus sits in Mid Cornwall — just off the A390; covering TR2 from Grampound, Ladock, Tresillian outward.
- Conservation Area
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
- ✓Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
- ✓Measured-survey accuracy from day one
- ✓One studio — design, planning and build under one roof
Free · No obligation
Free Probus feasibility call
Tell us about your renovation. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Local proof — Recent renovation enquiries from Probus have clustered around traditional cob and granite cottages — we know the route through Cornwall Council on these.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Probus is its own job.
Cornwall Council's lens on Probus is consistent: 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. For renovation 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. That's why we treat every Probus project as a TR2-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on. The traditional cob and granite cottages that dominate Probus (and continue out toward Tresillian) set the tone for any renovation scheme here. On older stock, the practical constraint is usually joinery, render and roof line rather than the extension itself. We draw those details out early so a renovation submission is not sent back for missing information. Confirm listing status with the local planning authority before assuming permitted development. On working land, the practical questions are usually track access for deliveries, foul drainage and how a new form sits in open landscape. General guidance only, so confirm your position with Cornwall Council before committing.
Planning note
Most Cornish renovations don't need planning — but listed status, curtilage listing, Conservation Area designation and material changes can all change that picture.
What we focus on
Renovations considerations specific to Probus.
01
Damp in Cornish cottages is usually a moisture management problem, not a chemical injection problem — fixing the cause is cheaper long term than treating the symptom.
02
Original fireplaces, slate floors, beams and joinery are often worth rescuing; the design conversation should start with what stays, not what goes.
03
Older Cornish properties are often built with cob, rubble or solid granite — modern insulation strategies that work in cavity walls cause damp problems in solid construction. Breathable build-ups matter.
04
Asbestos surveys are standard for anything pre-2000 — we factor a survey into the programme before stripping out begins.
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
Clients in Probus take different slices of this list, and that is deliberate.
Measured survey
An accurate record of what is actually there, which is where most avoidable cost is removed.
Construction and technical drawings
1:10 and 1:20 details for the parts of the job builders normally have to guess at.
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.
Heritage and design statements
Written justification where designation makes the design case as important as the drawing.
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 renovation 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. Renovations enquiries here are common enough that we know the constraints before the first visit.
Our process
How a Probus renovation project runs.
Step 1
Survey
Measured survey, condition assessment, services check and listed status review.
Step 2
Design
Layout options, material strategy and a clear list of what stays and what changes.
Step 3
Approvals
Listed Building Consent and building regulations as needed.
Step 4
Strip-out and works
Carefully sequenced demolition, structural works and rebuild.
Step 5
Finish and handover
Joinery, decoration, snagging and documentation pack.
Whole-house renovations typically run six to fourteen months on site; partial remodels two to four months.
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.
Free · No obligation
Get a free feasibility view
For projects in Probus and the TR2 area.
Local fabric
Why Probus homeowners pick a local studio for renovation.
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 renovation response — traditional cob and granite cottages 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 renovation 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 Renovations — local questions answered.
- We live in the house. Can a renovation 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 much does a full renovation cost in Probus?
- A whole-house renovation typically lands between £1,800 and £3,000 per square metre depending on condition, listed status and finish level. We survey before quoting and don't price by guesswork. In Probus specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- Can you renovate and extend at the same time?
- Yes, and often it's the right call — the planning, regs and disruption all happen once instead of twice. We design and price it as a single project.
- Do I need planning permission to renovate internally?
- Usually no — except on listed buildings, where Listed Building Consent is needed for many internal alterations. We confirm the position before any wall comes down.
- Can I live in the house during the work?
- Sometimes yes, often no. Single-room remodels and phased work can be liveable; whole-house renovations involving rewires, replumbing or floor lifting almost never are. We're honest about this at the brief.
- What about damp and old walls?
- We assess the cause first — usually rising damp myths, blocked vents, hard cement renders trapping moisture, or roofs needing attention. A breathable repair strategy fixes most of it without chemical intervention.
Other services in Probus
Nearby places we cover
On a Probus site the success of a renovation is decided in week one — by reading the constraints right, not by drawing them away. For the final position on any address, Cornwall Council or the Planning Portal is the place to confirm it.
Book a site visit in the TR2 area St Austell handles the planning end for TR2.
Free · No obligation
Book a free visit in Probus
No obligation. Reply usually same working day.