Can you tell me what I can build before I purchase the block?
Yes. If you have a particular development in mind, it is a good idea to check whether the block is suitable before you purchase it.
Our planning team can review the property and your intended project to identify what may be achievable under the ACT planning requirements. This can include checking the zoning, Crown lease, permitted development, block size, setbacks, building height, site coverage, access, parking, easements, utilities, heritage and other relevant site constraints.
ACT Planning similarly recommends understanding a block’s zoning, permitted development, applicable development controls, heritage considerations and infrastructure before preparing plans.
This assessment can give you a much clearer picture of the site’s potential before purchasing it and help identify issues that could affect the design or approval process later.
Reference: ACT Planning – Understanding your block – https://www.planning.act.gov.au/community/get-to-know-your-block/understanding-your-block
Short Answer
Yes. We can assess a block before you purchase it to give you a clearer understanding of what development may be possible. A pre-purchase planning assessment can identify the applicable planning controls, development opportunities and key site constraints before you commit to buying.
Detailed Explanation
Yes. A preliminary planning assessment can be undertaken before you own the block, although it cannot guarantee that a future Development Application will be approved.
ACT Planning identifies a range of matters that should be investigated when considering development, including whether the proposed land use is permitted in the zone, whether it is allowed by the Crown lease, applicable Territory Plan requirements, site suitability, utilities, easements and other government-agency requirements.
Our pre-purchase planning services can assess a proposed property against the current ACT planning framework and your intended development, identify the main opportunities and constraints, and provide an early indication of what the block may be capable of accommodating. Where further investigation or specialist advice is required, this can also be identified before the design progresses.
The final development potential will still depend on the detailed design, applicable planning requirements at the time of application, site investigations and the formal approval process.
No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.
Would you like to know what these rules mean for your property?
Get a Planning Assessment prepared by our experienced planning team.