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Homeowners and property developers often ask architects whether their project goals are feasible during initial consultations. In most cases, architects can only provide educated guesses as answers, since rules and regulations must be interpreted and applied in design proposals that align with council requirements.
Planning Permit applications can be risky, time-consuming, and expensive. But there's a way to reduce these risks and issues before spending millions on a property:
Using a pictorial approach.
In this article, we outline three steps to help you minimise Planning Permit risks through visual comparisons with neighbouring properties.
The Key: Pictorial Comparisons
The key to reducing Planning Permit risks is comparing your property with relevant neighbours visually. Your neighbours' building bulk and site usage show how the council has interpreted rules and regulations in the past.
The rules are similar across the state, but interpretations can vary significantly. Therefore, visual comparisons with your neighbors can guide you more accurately in determining what building bulk and usage can be developed on your site.
The Three Steps:
By following these steps, you can quickly and affordably reduce risks about Planning Permit before you purchase the site.
Step 1 - Investigate the Rules
Visit the town planning website for your state to find the rules relevant to your property. For Victoria, go to https://www.land.vic.gov.au/maps-and-spatial. Enter your property address under "Property and Parcel Search" and download the "Planning PDF."
Download the ‘Planning PDF’.
You will download a report with maps similar to the examples below for your site. Capture the maps only, as below:
Step 2 - Compare the neighbour
Rather than reading the text of the planning scheme, focus on visual comparisons. Identify neighbors with the same color and hatch as your property on all maps. This indicates that they have the same rules as your property and shows how the council interprets these rules in real-life situations.
In the example above, if you are investigating property No. 26, you can compare it with its neighbours, such as No. 207, No. 203, No. 201, No. 199, No. 24, No. 22, and No. 33, as they have the same colour and hatches on all the maps.
Do NOT compare with the No. 307 and No. 230, as these sites have a different colour on some maps.
What do you compare?
a) The Building Bulk. Take photos of your neighbours:
Front Elevation,
Side Elevation,
Rear Elevation.
Select the bulkest neighbor's front, side, and rear elevations to move on to Step 3.
Step 3 - Confirm with Council
Visit the council and speak with the town planner on duty. Present your photos and ask if your proposed building bulk and usage align with the neighborhood. Inquire about any reasons the council may not support the construction or usage of the building.
If the Council officer do not support the elevation bulk you found, or the building's use. Ask "why," and find out from the Duty Officer all the reasons behind.
These three steps will help you reduce risk and elminate sites not suitable for your project goal quickly before you purchase the site.
A Few Notes:
This process only identifies Town Planning risks and requirements. Site restrictions listed under the Certificate of Title, estate guidelines, and other authorities' assets (pipes, cables, etc.) are not addressed.
As a property owner, you have the right to build on your site as long as your design proposal complies with the rules. Don't hesitate to discuss maximizing bulk with the council if that's your goal.
This 3-step process does not eliminate town planning risks entirely, but it reduce risks and enhance communication with the council, stakeholders, and your consultant team before purchasing a property.
Call or ask us a question if you want to learn more about your project.
Disclaimer: We assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions. The information is for general purposes only with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness, or timeliness. You must engage a suitable consultant for your specific situation.
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