For Assignment One you must prepare a 1750 word report on the planning merits of an actual development proposal which will be provided to you.
You should pretend that you are either:
- A planning officer at a council who has been asked to give preliminary advice on the likelihood of council supporting the proposal; or
- A planning consultant who is advising their client on the likelihood of the proposal being supported.
You may choose which of the above perspectives to take. (Don’t get hung up on the trappings of your fictional identity. The important thing here is the planning assessment; the above roles are a way to frame that).
Your report should:
- Briefly outline the planning controls applying to the land (zones and overlays) and why a planning permit is required (the permit “triggers”).Suggested length c. 200 words
- List the most relevant considerations in the various parts of the planning scheme. Consider for example:
- Zones and overlays (if applicable)
- The SPPF and LPPF
- Relevant particular provisions (Such as Clause 52.06 and Clause 55)
- The general decision guidelines at Clause 65 (possibly of limited usefulness!)
Suggested length c. 250 words. Avoid long lists of clauses and quotes; try to list and summarise the most important provisionsonly.
- Discuss what you think the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal are, and what you think the likelihood of the proposal ultimately being supported are.Suggested length – balance of the report, c. 1300 words.
The above is just a suggestion; you should not consider the above a rigid structure. Do not be afraid to break your argument in to sections or subheadings as you see fit.
In order to keep the length of the report manageable, you are not being asked to write a separate detailed site analysis. However you should refer to features of the site in your discussion of the proposal as appropriate. For example, the location of adjoining buildings might influence discussion of amenity impacts, or the type of buildings might influence the discussion of neighbourhood character.
In considering the Clause 55 provisions and local policy provisions it is strongly suggested that you not try to assess them point-by-point. You should look at the plans and decide which will be of most concern and concentrate on the clauses that will be of most concern or most influence the decision.
The assessment criteria for this assignment are:
Understanding (10 points):
- Your demonstration of an understanding of the operation of the planning scheme, including:
- Identifying permit triggers
- Identifying and applying appropriate policies, clauses and scheme considerations
- Technical correctness of the discussion
Analysis (10 points):
- Your ability to apply that knowledge to a practical situation, recognise and balance competing policy objectives, and communicate a view about the proposal, including:
- Judgementabout what the key issues were and what to focus on
- Recognition of and balancing ofcompeting objectives
- Application of scheme to a practical situation: understanding the plans, relating the site circumstances and context to the planning scheme considerations, etc
Expression (10 points):
- Your ability to clearly and effectively communicate a planning argument, including:
- Clarity of argument
- Logic of argument
- Quality of written expression
- Grammar and spelling
There is not a “right” answer to this proposal in terms of whether you think the proposal is likely to be supported or not. What will be important is whether you can sensibly argue the position you will take, with reference to planning scheme controls.