- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 1
- City
- Truro
What to know in Cornwall
Side plots in Cornwall often hide services. Drains, gas pipes and cables tend to run down the side of houses, and a public sewer under the plot may need a build-over agreement with the water company. New homes also need a drainage plan the council will want to see, and wildlife on the plot has to be considered under biodiversity net gain rules. These checks rarely stop a good side plot, but they can shape where the new home sits and how close it comes to your house.
Planning authorities covering Cornwall include Cornwall Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We look at your plot on maps, the title plan and street views, check planning history nearby and talk it through with you. If a home beside yours looks possible we visit. No cost, no obligation.
Read the street
We measure the plot and record the building line, the gaps between houses, roof heights, materials and boundary walls, then check where a new drive could go and what drivers would be able to see from it.
Choose your route
Sell the plot outright, sell it subject to planning, or grant an option while you keep your house. Or keep the land and have us design, get planning for and build a new home on it.
Design and planning
We draw a home that sits in the street rather than fighting it, usually take pre-application advice, and submit the application. The council consults neighbours and decides; small schemes often take a few months.
Sale or build
For a sale, your solicitor handles the transfer of part and any release from your lender. For a build, a written quote follows design and survey, then we build, arrange the warranty and hand over.
Corner and side plots in towns across Cornwall
Questions about corner and side plots in Cornwall
Will you build on my corner plot in Cornwall if I keep the land?
Yes. Owners who keep their land can hand us the whole project: designing the home, applying for permission, building it and arranging the 10-year structural warranty that mortgage lenders generally look for. You’d keep, let or sell it. Expect a written quote once design and survey are done; guide prices are only guides.
What design rules apply to side plot homes in Cornwall?
National policy, the NPPF, sets the broad tests, and each council adds its own plan and design guidance. Expect questions on building lines, spacing, roof height, materials, parking, bins and light to neighbouring windows. The detail varies by council, so we always check locally.
Do you assess corner and side plots in Cornwall?
Yes, anywhere in Cornwall; we cover the whole of England and Wales. A few photos of the side of your house and the street, plus your address, are enough for us to run a free desktop check and tell you whether a visit makes sense.
Can you build a new home in my garden in Cornwall for me to keep?
Yes. Through our design and build route we survey your plot, design a new home with you, apply for planning and, once permission is granted, build it. You keep the land and the new home, to sell, let or use for family. You get a written quote after design and survey, and any earlier guide price is a guide only.