How a town planner can help you with your development project
Posted on: 20 April 2016
When developing a commercial project, for example constructing new office premises or a supermarket, you need to employ the services of a town planner. A town planner is an integral part of your property development team. This is a professional with qualification in urban planning. Normally, you need a planning permit for you to develop a commercial project in your land and it's granted by your local jurisdiction. In the quest for the planning permit, here are four ways a town planner can assist a property developer with their project.
Provide feedback during the project design process
It's imperative that you get an urban planner involved early in the design process to check out the plans and offer their opinion in regards to their compliance with local council regulations. This will save the developer substantial costs in terms of major redraws of design plans as well as significant time in expediting the approval process via the council maze.
Prepare the development application
The local council has in place rules and regulations concerning how to lodge a permit application for a development project. For example, all the necessary documentation including design plans are stated and failure to provide them may see your permit application thrown away. The town planner is conversant with all these rules and regulations. They understand the process of lodging a permit application and the required paperwork. Therefore, they will make sure they include everything in the application as per the guidelines of the local council.
Handle any council requests and disapproval
The town planner can also act your main point of all communication with the local council and any protestors. Upon filing your permit application, the council may request for a few modifications in the plans. In this case, your town planning consultant may instruct the architect to redraw the plans as per the council's request. Likewise, if your application is facing objections from a few protestors, your town planner can schedule meetings with the protestors and council officers with a view of finding a satisfactory solution to the raised concerns. In such mediation meetings, the urban planner can represent you.
Advocating for your case in the appeals court
In case your permit application is thrown out for unclear circumstances, you can always appeal such a decision in the appeals court. With full knowledge of the council's planning legislation and applicant rights, your planning consultant will act as your expert witness in front of the appeals court in an attempt to overturn the earlier decision.
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