Whether you are renovating your property or subdividing your land, chances are that you require the services of experienced town planning consultants in Melbourne. This is because property development is not an easy feat. There are numerous hurdles you must overcome, various property limitations you must understand, and several essential permits you need to obtain from your local Council.

Engaging a professional town planning consultant ensures this time-consuming and costly process is as smooth sailing as possible for you and offers you the most favourable outcome when it comes to obtaining approvals for your planning applications.

If you are still on the fence about consulting a town planner for your property development project, we have compiled a few benefits of engaging these professionals that can help you make a more informed decision.

Paperwork made easy

Generally, you must obtain a planning permit from your local Council to implement your property development project. This legal document contains certain conditions that must be met and restrictions that you must adhere to. The application process can be daunting and time-consuming; the smallest mistake can cost you thousands of dollars.

A professional town planner will be able to determine the specific type of permits you need while also making sure you are aware of any restrictions or boundaries that can affect your property development project. They are also experienced in preparing detailed documentation, hence minimising room for error.

Increased chances of success

Your project development application needs to comply with all the health, safety, and environmental regulations and other local laws outlined by your local Council to ensure quick approval. These typically require experience or a creative approach to resolve.

Town planners are well-versed in making sure your application meets all these requirements. They will also advise where a strategic argument is required to make sure you are in the best position to achieve approval. This includes addressing issues during lodgement, responding to your local Council’s information request, seeking post-approval negotiated outcomes, and preparing court appeals.

When necessary, experienced town planners also provide Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) representation to ensure you achieve the most favourable outcome within your scheduled time frame.

Saves your time and money

Apart from paperwork and documentation, one of the many challenges of property development is that you will most probably need to collaborate with several professionals throughout your project. This includes surveyors, architects, and engineers. These experts will save you from costly re-submission fees for failed applications.

Instead of having to source these professionals individually – which can be time-consuming and costly – a town planner can help you bring together the most reliable professionals to get your project up and running immediately.

In addition, town planners often negotiate outcomes between experts to achieve a functional development with appealing design whilst still making sure your development meets all the requirements of the local planning scheme.

Services beyond planning

Experienced town planning consultants offer more than just “planning”. Their vast expanse of knowledge on local jurisdictions combined with their large network means they can help you in almost all aspects of your project.

This includes preparing and assessing development applications, collaborating with other property development experts, setting a realistic timeline, determining potential issues and problems, and a lot more.

Town planners can also help you with the presentation at local Council meetings, which can be quite daunting for many people. Councillors and their planning officers may have specific questions that may leave a layperson fumbling for an appropriate answer. Town planners can help you prepare for what to expect at these meetings, or even represent you – which is a bonus.

Quality and efficiency are guaranteed

The quality of information you provide the local Council is the key to a successful planning application approval. Local Councils tend to prefer applications that include high-quality plans as well as a comprehensive report.

A town planner can run quality checks on your application to ensure that it is approval-worthy while also providing you with advice on any revisions you may need to make before submitting your application. In addition, town planners will liaise with each party involved in the application process to ensure that your application is approved promptly without any revisions or hiccups.

These factors are only some of the many advantages you would reap from engaging a town planner for your planning application. These professionals are highly knowledgeable in handling development projects of all shapes and sizes and are familiar with the local laws, planning schemes and regulations. Hence, getting their advice from the get-go would be highly beneficial.

At Barker Monahan, our town planning consultants have extensive experience in the development of all residential, commercial, and industrial properties. We have built strong long-term relationships with numerous local Councils to ensure our clients get to implement their projects as smoothly as possible. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you.