Planning to build or renovate? You might need to submit a planning permit application first!
Applying for a planning permit in Victoria is an essential part of any building or renovation project. And like many of the other steps involved, it’s a surprising amount of work - one that involves a lot of different documents and forms.
For your planning permit application to be accepted, you’ll need to lay the groundwork by sourcing and offering a range of different documents to send off to the council.
Today, we’re here to explain what you need to apply for your planning permit, as well as what you can do to pump up the odds of your application being accepted.
First thing’s first: why does getting a planning permit matter?
Building and renovating can be a big endeavour.
The work itself disruptive, and there’s also the chance that the end results might cause issues in the neighbourhood by:
- Infringing on other people’s privacy
- Increasing congestion (both during construction and afterwards)
- Changing the area’s character
- Potential negative environmental impacts
- Conflicting with existing zoning regulations
These are just some of the negative impacts that unrelated construction and development can have.
And that’s why these permits exist: to certify that your construction or renovation plan doesn’t negatively affect the surrounding area.
With the exception of a handful of situations, the vast majority of building projects as well as many renovation projects will require a planning permit to be lodged.
Just because your application gets knocked back doesn’t mean that you can’t get to work - a lot of the time, the council will come back with recommendations to bring your project back in line.
What documents will you need during a planning permit application?
Now that that’s out of the way, it’s time for the real meat-and-potatoes of today’s topic: how to apply for one of these permits, and what documents will you need?
Getting a permit for your planned construction or renovation isn’t a simple matter of “tick these boxes”, unfortunately - as part of your application, you’re going to need to do a lot of prep work if your project is to be accepted.
Full disclosure: each council area has its own planning scheme.
As such, each one has its own standards, and may request different types of information on your part.
For instance, councils in heritage overlays tend to be stricter than those in newer areas, and may require more documents attached to your application.
Good news, however: most of them require you to provide the same documents…
Land owner information
As part of your permit application, you’re going to need to submit some details about yourself too.
While your driver’s licence will serve to verify your identity, it doesn’t verify who owns the parcel of land you plan on building on.
As part of your application, you may have to submit a copy of your Certificate of Title.
This document establishes who the Title is held by. Just as importantly, it also offers information about the parcel of land itself - in particular, any covenants or restrictions on the parcel of land (that may factor into whether or not your application is approved).
Site plans
In order for the council to determine whether or not your project will have a detrimental effect on the surrounding area and approve (or reject) your planning permit application, they’ll need to know what you’re planning.
And for that, you’re going to need to submit a site plan.
A copy of your design drawings should be attached to your application, detailing what the completed building is going to look like, as well as the locations of windows and the like.
Using this information, the council planning department can make a call as to whether or not the property will “fit in” with the area.
If you’re renovating, you might also need a copy of your current plans before you get started.
Elevation plans
How high do you plan on building your new property? And more importantly, is that going to intrude on the neighbours’ privacy?
Elevation plans are one of the most common requests that councils will make when you’re submitting an application for a planning permit, especially if you’re building a multi-storey building.
Plans and details of development
Specifically, regarding the details of construction itself should the application be approved.
While the council can make judgements on whether or not the proposal is appropriate based on the elevation plan and site plans, those documents don’t tell them much about the disruption that the construction itself is going to cause.
That’s what this particular set of documents aims to address.
As part of your submission, you may be required to submit details about the construction itself, such as your timetable of work and more. All of this will be used to determine the short-term impact of construction, and make recommendations accordingly.
Performing a planning permit search in Victoria
Planning permits are supposed to help people already living in the area by preventing unsuitable, inappropriate or excessive development.
As such, it’s important that residents have an opportunity to share their thoughts on any proposed development.
All planning permits, whether they’ve been approved or are pending approval, are accessible to members of the public at Victoria’s planning permit register.
In addition to checking the permits themselves, you’ll also be able to check any supporting documents.
Has an empty block near your home recently been fenced off, with signs of construction work to begin soon? Is someone in your street talking about a major renovation that’s on the cards?
If you want to find out the details, it may be time to check the planning permit register!
Get all the property information you need
A lot of the documents you’ll need to obtain aren’t exactly the types of documents that are just lying around the place - in many cases, you’ll need help from our property information service to get your hands on them.
No matter what you’re looking for, our property information service makes the hunt easy. Get all the documents you need simply by selecting them from a drop-down menu.
We’ll do all the hard work for you, getting in touch directly with the relevant service providers, databases and agencies, delivering the documents the moment they become available.
Despite the title, our property information service does much more than just offer information!
Unsure if your building plans will comply with council requirements? Planning information advice can be a big help in tweaking your proposal and plan into something more likely to be approved.
We’ll tell you what sorts of requirements you’ll need to meet under your council’s planning scheme
Have questions? Get in touch with our team today
Whether it’s for a planning permit application or as part of your pre-purchase homework, if you need property information, documents or reports, PSI Global has you covered.
Start here - all you need is an address
Have questions? Contact our team today on (03) 8527 6300 or click here to touch base online.
The information in this article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. As with all things property, we strongly recommend consulting a professional to ensure that all stages of your building project (including the Title search) go smoothly.