Town Planning for Businesses

We often hear from our business clients that they didn’t know Town Planners existed until they spoke to Council about their business. Chances are that you found us because you spoke to Council and they advised you to contact a private town planner. 

We help businesses gain approval and take the pressure off them for the approval process so that they can focus on their business. We help businesses change their hours of operation, install mechanical exhaust systems, renovate their existing business or start a new business. The most common type of development application we do is for the change of use of a premises to the new business use.

Change of Use

One of the most common enquiries we receive from new clients is in regards to a change of use development application. We receive enquiries from people wanting to start new cafes or restaurants, tattoo studios, gyms, wellness centres, wine bars, car dealerships and even Universities.

Change of use applications can sometimes be difficult due to the zoning of the site and it is always best to do your research on the zoning before committing to a lease to ensure you can operate your business.

Some change of use applications can also be approved under a complying development certificate and an approval can be granted in as little as 10 days.

How Long does a development application take?

We always tell our clients that development application can take up to 12 weeks depending on the Council area, the complexity of the application and the officer assessing the application. Our job, however, is to ensure that all the details are correct and any non compliances are addressed in the statement of environmental effects when we lodge the application to minimise any delays in the assessment. We also follow up regularly with the Council Town Planner to check the progress and offer any assistance we can.

We help businesses with the following types of developments:

Restaurants

Gyms and Personal training studios

Tertiary Education Facilities

Cafes

Retail Stores

Industrial Buildings

Wine bars

Brewery

Need Town Planning help with your business 

Have a chat with Josh and the Team Today!

Helpful Content

Property Development Spotlight: Beresfield

Beresfield is one of the biggest hot spots within the Newcastle area with investors and first home buyers flocking to the area to score great prices for great blocks of land. We look at what to look for for development within the area and how to maximise on your investments including dual occupancies and subdivisions.

Read More »

Thornton Developments Booming

Thornton and Chisholm has become a booming area for investors and first home buyers wanting to leave Sydney and head towards the Hunter Valley. The greater Maitland area is a booming area with plenty of land available for developers.

Read More »

What can I build without Council Approval?

We explain what types of development you can do without any Council approval for everyone doing their home renovations. Read all about exempt development and what you can build this weekend after a trip to Bunnings to get your DIY tools.

Read More »

Complying Development Certificates

Want to build a house or renovate but don’t want the hassle of a development application. You might be able to get approval through a private certifier. We take some time to explain what a complying development is and the steps you need to take to obtain a CDC through a private certifier.

Read More »

Guide to Heritage Impact Statements

Heritage Impact Statements are essential for any development involving a heritage item or heritage conservation area. We go into some of the basics of what makes up a heritage impact statement and who should be preparing them for your development.

Read More »

New Generation Boarding Houses

New generation boarding houses have a lot of negativity at the moment with developers obtaining approvals for large scale boarding house developments. So what exactly is a new generation boarding house?

Read More »

Northern Beaches Dual Occupancy for beginners

Northern Beaches Town Planners explain Dual occupancy facts on the Northern Beaches including Pittwater, Warringah and Manly. We provide some information on dual occupancy developments on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Where you should be looking and what you should be considering.

Read More »

Reducing Car Parking in CBDs

We explore the theory that as the amount of parking decreases, the appeal of driving gives way to more environmentally friendly transport modes such as walking, cycling, ride-hailing, car pooling and public transport.

Some evidence suggests reducing or capping parking pays off. In cities that have implemented these measures, driving has declined and public transport use has increased.

Read More »

SFS Stadium Redevelopment seeks new construction company

The redevelopment of the Sydney Football Stadium has been full of controversy with a massive public backlash to the development.

The development has been subject to a lot of public debate with questions as to why the NSW Government are demolishing a functioning stadium instead of upgrading the stadium at a fraction of the cost.

Read More »