Would you pay for a preliminary planning assessment?

I've got a property in the Liverpool LGA, R3 zoned and being new to this development game, would it be feasible to get engage a town planner on what and can't be done on my block?

Also, how much do these typically cost?

Thanks

 

What’s your property? An old fiber house?

 

Brick veneer.

 

That’s what I did. I’m in Qld though and my initial consult was $220. I spoke on the phone and had a brief chat. They asked what I was hoping to achieve , gave them the address etc and then when I attended the meeting they had all the info in front of them ready to discuss. They also had a fee proposal. I then went away to think and once I had decided that I wanted to proceed with the development I signed the proposal and went from there.

 

Planning regulations can be technical for the ordinary folk. If you don't have experience in interpreting the code, best to get a consultant.

It's roughly $200- $250 for a small site to research by a small town planning firm. Anything higher by too much, don't bother.

 

But it does depend on the brief - the question being asked. That fee is about right for a quick assessment, but for something more like concept plan, yield etc expect to pay more. And it's always going to be worthwhile

 

I have avoided commenting here but here goes....for around $250 you probably would get a 30-45 minute phone chat related to the very basic LEP controls (min lot size etc) which may not be very helpful in the overall picture.

Normally I would say you need a written feasibility report, say 4-7 pages outlining important LEP and DCP controls and any mapping constraints (such as bushfire, flooding, biodiversity etc etc). The report at the end would typicaly outline what supporting documentation would be needed so you can understand what additional cost may be encounted. These reports usually are only on town planning matters and the financial feasibility is typically not done.

Some of the larger firms charge $1,250 - $1,500 for these town planning feasibility reports and after the report is delivered you can discuss it with them, ask questions and then move forward with the development if you wish.

I am a town planner and I do these reports also, typically I charge between $650 - $900 depending on the complexity of the proposal and the number of constraints.

Although some people are reluctant to have these reports done, it is better than starting with a proposal, getting all the drawings/plans/survey etc done, only to find there is a major hurdle to overcome or even finding a deal breaker in there.

I often do these reports, not for owners but for potential buyers of properties who have doubts about the development opportunities being spruked by realestate agents trying to get a sale.

It is surprising the number of times that the real potential development options are significanlty less than eluded to or require significantly more time and/or money.

Cheers, Anthony

 

Totally agree with the more comprehensive response from Anthony. I'm a town planner (and architect), but also avoid promoting that here. The figures provided are spot on and we charge about the same for about the same work. So, it seems that the outline is pretty accurate