• Category : SERVICE

Saving you the time, hassle and stress of doing it yourself

We help property owners turn their dreams into a reality by assisting them to get council approval for their house or extension. Founded in 1996, we employ ex–local government staff to give your development application the best possible chance. We know town planning law back to front and eat complexity for breakfast.

The dream you have for your house or extension is close; only thing is that a house or extension will bring scrutiny from council – considerations such as meeting the required development standards such as building envelope, building height, floor space ratio, building setbacks, or issues such as stormwater requirement, heritage listed sites, car parking and maintenance of residential amenity such as minimisation of overshadowing, protection of privacy and avoiding obstructions of views will be closely looked at.

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DO YOU NEED COUNCIL APPROVAL?

When you give us a call, we will listen to your ambitions for your house and will ask you questions to help us better understand the direction you want to head.

As the NSW planning system is complex and can be frustrating for property owners, our first step will be to see if there is a way we can fast-track the paperwork through a simplified application process. If a development application is found to be needed, we will provide you with the answers you need to make an informed decision to move forward.

The first step is to engage us to do an initial consultation (known as a preliminary planning assessment). This consultation will provide an expert opinion on whether council approval is needed and, if so, what the best avenue to maximise the chances of success is

SO HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?

Our proven 5-step process to achieving council approval for a house is designed to enhance your success. Each step is designed to leverage our 40 years’ experience in dealing with council so that you can achieve council approval as quickly as possible.

Your Steps to Development Approval

  • Step 1 Free Consultation
  • Step 2 Preliminary Planning Assessment
  • Step 3 Pre-Lodgement & Concept
  • Step 4 Development Application
  • Step 5 Lodgement
  • Step 6 Post Lodgement
  • Step 7 Determination

WHAT COUNCIL RULES DO I NEED TO COMPLY WITH?

We consult to many property owners.
Some of the themes we see coming through in terms of local government compliance for a house are:

1. Building envelope

You have fantastic ideas for your new dwelling or extension to your home, and you want to maximise internal living space by maximising building height. But your neighbour strongly disagrees even though their new house is much higher than your proposed house? How can you deal with this in order to achieve your desired building height while limiting potential impact on your neighbours?

2. Floor space ratio

Your new home site is in a recently approved subdivision whereby future dwellings on individual lots do not require further council approval as long as you meet the stipulated floor space ratio as set by council. You want a bigger house. How would you go about getting an approval for a larger dwelling house on a site that has a set floor space ratio limit?

3. House extension

You have personally gone to the trouble of notifying your neighbours about your future DA for house extension and your neighbours don’t seem to mind. However, when council publicly notifies your proposed extension, all your neighbours formally object. Council invites you to respond to those objections, but you are not sure on the best response especially as they are your friendly neighbours?