In 2019 Coast to Country Building Approvals expanded to provide town planning consulting services, adding Fiona Castley as a Director of the company, with Bronwyn Mellor assisting as a Town Planner.
Coast to Country Building Approvals is leading the way in providing an integrated approach to development projects.
The relationship between our town planning and building consultancy staff means that two teams are better than one for your next project!
In all our projects, either team is available to consult and provide specialist advice when and where it is needed most.
Whether it is a fast clarification as to whether a planning permit is needed for a building permit application or the building surveyors consulting to review project scope prior to town planning permit applications being lodged with Councils – we can do it all for you!
Having both town planning and building surveying consultants involved in your project at an early stage can identify and smooth out all sorts of speed bumps, and made the regulatory processes run much smoother for you.
And most importantly explaining ‘town planner speak’ in a way you can understand!
Town Planning at Coast to Country Building Approvals looks at the overall use and development of a site to ensure that your development projects achieves your aims AND meets the rules of the Local Council’s Planning Scheme.
Local Councils are legally responsible for assessing and deciding on town planning permit applications.
They have the legislative power to approve or refuse development proposals.
Coast to Country Building Approvals do not issue town planning permits.
Coast to Country Building Approvals can assist you by being your voice and advocating on your behalf with your Local Council to ensure they have all the information they need to decide on your development project.
We review and collate all the relevant information for submission to Council, preparing an assessment report giving Council all the information they need to assess and decide on your development proposal.
This differs from the Building Surveying Industry where Registered Building Surveyors (such as Coast to Country Building Approvals) are legally responsible for assessing, inspecting and deciding on building permit applications.
A planning permit looks at overall use and development of a site – what will a building look like, where will it sit on a site, what uses are happening in the building or on the land – and assesses them against a statewide rulebook – the Planning Scheme.
Building Permits look at construction methods and building structure to ensure that all buildings are safe and compliant for their future uses.
Some rules of the planning scheme are the same everywhere – some are determined at a local level or a site by site basis.
The planning scheme rules can change from property to property, and you might need a planning permit for something whilst your neighbour may not.
All land titles in Victoria are subject to the rules of their local planning scheme.
These rules are mostly governed by which Zone and Overlays apply to the land title in question, although there are other specific rules for particular uses, to remove native vegetation or if you are next to a main road.
ZONES
A Zone sets out which uses and development can occur with or without a permit, or which uses are prohibited in a certain type of area.
The rules for zones are set at a Victoria wide level, and your local Council has chosen which ones suit your area best.
OVERLAYS
An Overlay seeks to protect something specific or assess risk in relation to a specific development proposal.
An overlay sets out specific circumstances in which a permit is or is not required.
An overlay generally looks at one of four themes;
There will only ever be one zone over each part a site, but there may be multiple (or even overlapping) overlays protecting different things or requiring risk assessments to be undertaken.
Coast to Country Building Approvals have assisted with town planning applications in the following areas;
Coast to Country Building Approvals can advocate and submit applications on your behalf to all local councils across Regional Victoria and Metropolitan Melbourne.
