The planning pre-lodgement advice service is aimed at providing potential applicants with the opportunity to obtain written advice from or meet with planning officers regarding their proposal, identify key areas of concern, and gain an understanding of the City’s development application process.
Planning applicants and agents often request advice on whether a particular proposal is likely to be successful. This is a valuable process because it can identify improvements needed to a scheme prior to submission and can save people submitting applications that have little or no prospect of success.
Whilst the outcome of a development application cannot be guaranteed, it is more likely to succeed if it is well prepared, aligns with the City’s planning framework and properly addresses and responds to relevant issues raised at pre-lodgement stage. This should also ensure the quicker delivery of decisions, time and cost savings and higher quality developments.
Prior to formal DA lodgement the City encourages applicants to seek the advice of the Design Review Panel (DRP) during the early stages of design for large scale development proposals including:
- Large scale mixed use and residential developments valued at $2 million and over
- Multiple Dwelling applications equal to or greater than 10 dwellings
- Preliminary development proposals located within the City where referred by the Manager Development Services.
The Design Review Panel is happy to consider proposals under consideration by proponents that are in the early stages of formulation through to formally drafted plans.
Applicants should provide relevant concept plans/drawings to the City at least three weeks prior to a scheduled Design Review Panel meeting to enable an assessment of plans against the City’s Planning Framework to be undertaken by City Officers and for advice to be provided to Design Review Panel members prior to the meeting.
All requests for pre-lodgement advice are submitted through the City’s website by completing a pre-lodgement advice form.
The form requires customers to provide information relating to the proposed development including:
- Type of development
- Cost of development
- Development address
- Proposed development details
- Preferred method of advice (Written advice or Meeting).
Customers are also required to attach relevant documents such as site plans, floor plans, elevations, overshadowing diagrams etc. The greater level of detail submitted by customers will enable planning officers to provide more detailed planning advice on their proposal. The City will assess the information provided against the City’s planning framework and provide this to the customer in writing or via a meeting as requested.
In all cases, officers will be pleased to offer advice, based upon their own professional judgement; however this will not commit the decision maker (City, Council or Joint Development Assessment Panel) to a particular decision or outcome.
A decision will only be forthcoming once a development application has been lodged and determined. Above all, the decision makers discretion to make the final decision cannot be prejudiced in any way.
The pre-lodgement advice service does not apply to existing development applications or to applications for review that are currently being considered by State Administrative Tribunal (SAT).
The pre-lodgement advice service cannot provide a professional consultancy service. The City’s Development Services Planning team is here to assess and make recommendations on your proposals, and advise where your proposal does/does not meet the City’s Planning Framework including Local Planning Scheme No. 3 and Local Planning Policies. Officers are not able to offer planning consultancy, design or architectural, traffic, civil engineering services, etc.
The pre-lodgement advice service can also be used to obtain comments from the City’s Design Review Panel. While the Design Review Panel does not have decision-making powers, the independent design advice provided by the panel will be taken into consideration in the assessment of a development application and conveyed to the decision maker of the application. It should be noted that addressing the Design Review Panels advice does not imply that development approval has or will be granted and each proposal will need to comply with the City’s planning framework.
Applicants who are unsure about preparing a development application are advised to consult with an independent, suitably qualified professional. Details of town planning consultants can be found on the Planning Institute of Australia’s website.
To access the pre-lodgement advice service, you must submit a request to the City by completing a pre-lodgement advice form.
A meeting date will be arranged at a mutually convenient time to discuss your proposal. A pre-application reference number will be assigned and you will be notified of the name of the planning officer who will lead your pre-application meeting.
The City provides general planning advice regarding the legislative planning requirements within the City of Stirling by way of two duty planning officers available every day from 8.30am to 5.00pm for phone and counter enquiries. This can be obtained via telephone on (08) 9205 8555 or in person at the counter at the City’s Administration Centre, 25 Cedric Street Stirling.
The City’s duty planner service can provide advice on:
- Legislative requirements of Local Planning Scheme No. 3 and Planning and Development Regulations 2015
- The development approvals process including types of development applications, fees and payment methods
- Exemptions under the Development Regulations 2015
- The types of land uses
- Matters regarding unauthorised land-use such as home businesses, short stay accommodation and privacy issues relating to structures such as decks, patios and fences
- Advice on the requirements of a development application (DA) for the approval of unauthorised land use and structures
- Design Review Panel process.
The above advice can also be obtained via email by contacting Development Services on development@stirling.wa.gov.au.
All requests for pre-lodgement advice are to be submitted to the City via the pre-lodgement advice form.
Prior to formal DA lodgement the City encourages proponents to seek the advice of the Design Review Panel during the early stages of design for large scale development proposals including:
- Large scale mixed use and residential developments valued at $2 million and over
- Multiple Dwelling Applications equal to or greater than 10 dwellings
- Preliminary development proposals located within the City where referred by the Manager Development Services.
The Design Review Panel is happy to consider proposals that are in the early stages of formulation through to formally drafted plans.
Customers should provide relevant concept plans/drawings to the City at least three weeks prior to a DRP meeting to enable an assessment of plans against the City’s Planning Framework to be undertaken by City Officers and for advice to be provided to DRP members prior to the meeting.
All requests to present plans to the City’s Design Review Panel for pre-lodgement advice are to be made through the pre-lodgement advice form.