Council Town Planning Permit - Documentation & Negotiation

Our Clients were planning some alterations and additions to their property in the outer east of Melbourne, with some basic designs at hand. Their proposed works include a new backyard office/workshed, new safety handrails & balustrades to the first-floor bedroom's roof-terrace.

They were in the process of acquiring a Building Permit for these works while when they learned from the Building Surveyor that a Planning Permit was actually triggered for these works. The Clients were also advised by the Building Surveyor that there were two other components of their past alterations and additions to the property that now need a 'retrospective' formalisation with Council in terms of Planning Permit.

The challenges included all the typical planning considerations which our Clients were not aware of when coming up with their design ideas and when they did their last alterations and additions to the place: concerns over overlooking, overshadowing, site coverage, site permeability etc.

After a year of back-and-forth with Council's over various RFIs to no avail, the Clients engaged us to help them navigate this approval process.

With a strong understanding of the local Council's Planning Scheme, and based on the Client's original concept design, we helped them fully document these for Town Planning purpose, including the two old structures to be retrospectively approved (based on site measurements and past Building Permit's hand-drawing by the Clients). We also constructed arguments and advised the Clients on the most cost-effective solutions to address all the highlighted planning concerns raised by Council.

The challenges came with multiple non-compliance from the clients' own original design, in relation to overlooking, over-shadowing, site coverage and site permeability.

After two joint-meeting with Council Planning Officer and multiple emails, we successfully helped the Client acquire the Planning Permit required for their new works as well as the retrospective approval to the previous works.

The Client proceeded thereafter with Building Permit to constructed their new works.