Heritage buildings and existing buildings in Heritage Conservation areas are becoming a great place for restaurants, hairdressers, gyms, cafes and other businesses with the heritage design of the building mixed with a contemporary fitout design.

We are often engaged by our clients to assist with the Heritage Impact Statement for the fit out and/or change of use for the new business. The Heritage Impact Statement provides an assessment of the development against the heritage value of the property (or conservation area) and provides details of the history of the heritage item, reasons why the item has heritage listing and provides any mitigation measures required for the development.

We believe that heritage impact statements should be affordable for change of use or fitout applications so we provide expert level reports without the inflated price tag to encourage development within existing heritage buildings. Our heritage expert is a listed heritage consultant with Heritage NSW and has worked on a vast number of heritage developments across NSW.

What else is required?

The list of documentation will depend on the type of business you are proposing and the location but here are some reports that are generally required:

Architectural plans

The architectural plans include:

Site plan (birds eye view of the site with neighbouring properties included);

Floor plans (plans showing the floor layout including any demolition etc)

Elevation and section plans (required if there are any external changes to the building)

Signage Plans (Required if new signage is proposed)

Statement of Environmental Effects

The statement of environmental effects (SoEE) is a planning document required for ALL development applications. The SoEE provides details of how the development complies with the relevant State and Local legislation and any impacts the development will have on the general area. Additional details such as hours of operation, noise mitigation and operational details are provided within the statement. The statement of environmental effects is a critical report for all applications and should be prepared by someone (such as ourselves) who has knowledge of planning legislation.

Waste Management Plan

The waste management plan provides details of the management of waste for the construction and ongoing use of the development. The plan provides details of how waste is disposed or recycled (including quantities). Some local Councils will have a template to use which is simple to fill out. Town planners or building designers also provide this service if required.

Acoustic Report

Acoustic reports are required where there will be a perceived impact on nearby residences, such as when a restaurant or gym is near residential dwellings. The report is prepared by an acoustic engineer and provides details of the noise impacts and recommendations for any mitigation of noise (such as acoustic walls or restrictions on music etc).

Survey Plan

Survey plans are prepared by Registered Surveyors and are sometimes required by certain local Councils. It is best to check with Council or a town planner whether a survey plan will be required for the development application.

Traffic Impact Statement

Traffic impact statements are required for new businesses where a large number of carparking requirements or truck deliveries is required. The traffic impact statement is prepared by a traffic engineer and provides an assessment of the local road network and traffic demand including any mitigation measures to be implemented. Check with your local Council of town planner whether a traffic impact statement would be necessary for your development.

BCA Report

BCA reports are reports prepared by a building surveyor that determines whether the premises complies with the relevant class of building under the BCA or NCC and if any works are required to bring the building into compliance. Check with Council if this is required for your development.