Expert quality SoEE reports for development Applications
Heritage reports for development application for heritage listed properties or within Heritage Conservation areas.
Objection letters on behalf of neighbours for Council Development applications
Part V approvals for educational establishments (schools, TAFE and University)
Town Planning Collective is a boutique town planning consultancy providing expert planning and heritage services across Sydney, including the Inner West Council area. We specialise in preparing high-quality planning reports and guiding clients through the development application process with clarity and efficiency.
The Inner West of Sydney is one of the most diverse and highly regulated planning environments in New South Wales. Known for its rich heritage character, established neighbourhoods, and vibrant mixed-use centres, the area is subject to detailed planning controls designed to protect its unique identity while accommodating growth.
Planning within the Inner West Council area requires careful consideration of a wide range of constraints. Strict heritage provisions, character controls, height and floor space limits, and environmental considerations all play a significant role in determining development outcomes.
Many properties are affected by:
As a result, development applications can often become complex, even for relatively modest proposals. Without a clear understanding of Council requirements, applications may be delayed, refused, or require costly redesign.
We provide a full range of town planning services tailored to Inner West Council requirements, including:
All reports are prepared with a clear understanding of Inner West LEP 2022 and the Inner West DCP, ensuring alignment with Council expectations.
Fill out the form below to get a quote or if you need assistance with your project.
We regularly assist clients across the Inner West, including:
Our experience across these suburbs allows us to understand the local planning nuances, heritage context, and Council assessment approach specific to each area.
We assist our clients in a variety of different ways in both town planning and heritage consulting. Below are an example of our four key areas of services.
The corner stone of any development application! The statement of environmental effects of SoEE is a required document under the EP&A Act and provides an account for what the project entails and if the development complies with the relevant standards and controls.
Lodging development applications is one of our primary tasks for clients. The DA Lodgement is complex and different for every Council so most of our clients engage us to lodge the application on their behalf to their Council.
Neighbour development objection letters are one of our most frequent enquiries. Our principal planning has an extensive experience in objection letters and can assist you with mitigating your concerns regarding the development application.
Heritage impact Statements are required for development applications where you are proposing changes to heritage listed items or buildings within a heritage conservation area. We provide experts services to assist our clients with their heritage advice and reports.
Experienced consultant town planners can help with your development
Bringing an experienced town planner onboard can help you save money by avoiding unnecessary additional information requests or additional reports.
Engaging a town planner to prepare your statement of environmental effect cuts down on the approval timeframe, ensuring all relevant controls and legislations are addressed upfront!
Experienced town planners can project manage the development process. Consulting with relevant consultants to ensure your project is delivered and approved quickly.
Town planners with Council experience are valuable in the development process. Council development officers know the process and understand what needs to be done to gain approval.
Town planners help remove the stress out of a development application approval by avoiding additional information or just handling the whole Council process for you!
While not mandatory, engaging a town planner can significantly improve your chances of approval—particularly for heritage properties, constrained sites, or proposals that do not fully comply with planning controls. An experienced planner can help identify risks early and prepare a well-justified application aligned with Council requirements.
Inner West Council aims to assess development applications within statutory timeframes (typically around 40 days). However, this timeframe is often extended where additional information is requested or where proposals are complex or non-compliant. A well-prepared application can help reduce delays and streamline the assessment process.
Yes. We regularly prepare Heritage Impact Statements and provide planning advice for heritage-listed properties and sites within conservation areas across the Inner West. We understand how to balance development outcomes with heritage requirements and Council expectations.
Yes. We provide feasibility advice to help you understand the development potential, planning constraints, and risks associated with a property before you commit to purchase. This can be critical in avoiding costly surprises later in the process.
Yes. We have extensive experience preparing Clause 4.6 variation requests to justify departures from development standards under the Inner West Local Environmental Plan 2022. Common variations relate to building height, floor space ratio (FSR), landscaped area, site coverage, and minimum lot size. We focus on preparing robust, well-reasoned justifications that align with established planning principles and Council expectations.
We assist with a wide range of developments including new dwellings, alterations and additions, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings, subdivisions, and small-scale commercial projects.
Yes. We can manage the entire development application process, including liaising with Inner West Council, responding to requests for information, and negotiating outcomes during the assessment process.
We have extensive experience in town planningfor NSW Councils and can assist you with any of your development application issues.
We pride ourselves in providing competitive and comprehensive quotes that provide expert reports for a competitive price.
We know time is money so we always try to deliver our reports in a fast turn around. We offer service agreements for our regular clients for piece of mind!
Just have a chat with our principal planner and you will see that we do this not just because it is our job, but because it is our passion!
The inner west is experiencing a development boom and the boom continues despite the interest rate rise. Savy property developers are maximising on their developments while there is a lull in sales so that once the sale prices rise again they will be on the front foot. Below is an example of some of the development types we assist with for their approvals!
Our top enquiry is in relation to a dwelling house and how to push the envelope on the development potential. We have helped many of our clients get the home of their dreams despite height limits and floor space ratio restrictions.
Every other general enquiry we receive is in regard to whether a Dual occupancy is permissible for their site. The NSW Government recently released changes to the dual occupancy standards which now permit dual occupancies in most residential zones.
Why build 2 houses when you could build 4! Multi dwelling housing, also known as terrace housing or town houses, allows you to build multiple dwellings on the one lot and then subdivide through strata subdivision.
Residential flat buildings or "unit blocks" are becoming more common place as housing diversity is encouraged within NSW. The buildings are governed by design guidelines and legislation and need a expert town planner to assist with the approval.
Change of use for a restaurant/cafe or a takeaway food venue is a common Council development application we assist with. whether it is a new trendy cafe, a new restaurant or a Boutique Beer Bar, we can help get your approval!
Subdivision has become an easy access to money for many first time developers who wish to maximise on their return while the prices are still high! Many of our clients are taking advantage of generous minimum lot sizes and subdividing their properties into two or more lots.
Shop top housing is a popular development type for developments on the fringe of the zones and for other sites that want to take advantage of their development standards.
Commercial or industrial buildings are specific buildings to their business or industrial zonings. These types of developments require expertise from an experienced town planner to assist with the approval.
Fitness studios/gyms or other types of recreational facilities are as popular as ever! We have assisted many clients with their DA approval for change of use for their fitness industry business.
Lodged your DA and Council now wants a Heritage Impact Statement? If you’ve missed a heritage report in NSW, acting quickly is critical. We specialise in urgent, council-ready Heritage Impact Statements — often delivered within 48 hours. Here’s how to fix it fast and keep your project moving.
On average our statement of environmental effects and heritage impacts statements are delivered within two weeks of acceptance (or final plans). We pride ourselves on our fast delivery of expert technical reports for development applications. This fast turn around saves our clients time and money to get their DAs approved faster.
A Heritage Impact Statement (HIS) explains how proposed works may affect the heritage significance of a property or area. Learn when you need one and how to prepare an HIS that supports your development application in NSW.
We have been engaged for many development applications for change of use and other developments within the Queen Victoria Building. The site is a state heritage listed property that has a wonderful history. We have provided heritage impact statements for the fit out and change of use for stores within the building as any works within the historic building require development approval from Council.
Heritage impact statements can be expensive. We understand that this report can sometimes be the most expensive report for a development application. We go into detail of what goes into the report and how you can minimise your costs to obtain a HIS.
We have been engaged for many development applications for change of use and other developments within the Tramsheds complex at Forest Lodge. The site is a heritage listed property that has undergone substantial rejuvenation to turn a once dilapidated building into a thriving retail/food destination.
We recently worked on a project within “The Spot”, a heritage conservation area within Randwick Council. The project was for alterations and additions to an existing semi-detached dwelling. We give some information about the project and how we assisted our clients with their development application.
Property developers best friend is knowledge! Make an informed decision on your next property purchase by getting a pre-purchase feasibility report for as little as $400. Determine whether you can subdivide a site, building a duplex or a town house development before making an offer on the site.
Planning a renovation within a heritage conservation area? We talk about the requirements and what you can and can’t do without approval. Find out what is required with any development application and the process with heritage conservation areas and how to obtain approval with our help.
The statement of environmental effects is the most important report for a development application with Council. It is the cornerstone of any good development application and provides details of the development and an assessment of the compliance of the proposal against the relevant legislation and development controls (LEP and DCP). A good statement of environmental effects can make the difference between an approval or a refusal and can streamline the timeframe of the process.
Where a development doesn’t comply with the LEP development standard (such as minimum lot size, height of building and Floor Space Ratio) a variation to the development standard can be sought through the inclusion of a clause 4.6 report. We provide details regarding the report and where a variation might be appropriate.
Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a crime prevention strategy that focuses on the planning, design and structure of cities and neighbourhoods. We discuss the principles of CPTED that are required to be assessed in any Crime Risk Reports for development applications.
Review of Environmental Factors State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021 allows schools, TAFE and Universities to obtain approval for developments without requiring Council Development Application approval. We explain the process and what types of development can be achieved without Council approval.
Change of use and fitouts for cafes, shops etc within heritage buildings or conservation areas require Council approval. Find out what is required with any development application to obtain your approval and start operating.
We recently prepared an objection letter to a Queensland Council on behalf of local residents of Mount Fox regarding a battery farm for a solar panel project. The battery farm was in an ecological area with concerns regard bushfire and clearing of native vegetation.
Town Planning Collective is a professional town planning and heritage consulting practice providing expert advice and approval support for development applications across Sydney and New South Wales. We specialise in navigating local planning controls, heritage requirements, and council approval processes for residential and small-scale developments.
Sydney NSW
Greater Sydney
Regional New South Wales
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