Planning permit to build units
You always need a planning permit to build more than one house on a block, known as units or townhouses.
Council uses ResCode (Clause 55 of the Moreland Planning Scheme) to assess applications for unit development.
For projects like units or more than one house on a lot, get a qualified planning consultant to help you prepare and submit your application. Ask a qualified architect or draftsperson to prepare the detailed plans you need to submit.
We strongly encourage all permit applicants for units to have a Pre-application meeting before they submit a planning permit application.
A pre-application meeting is free and helps Council process your planning permit application faster.
How many units can I build?
Council decides how many units you can build based on the overall design of the proposal. There is no formula of dwelling numbers per lot size, such as one dwelling per 300 square metres.
Council uses ResCode and other planning provisions like Council’s Neighbourhood Character Policy to decide on a planning permit application for more than one house on a block.
Things that affect how many houses you can build include:
- the site’s orientation to the sun in terms of shadows on the neighbouring properties
- car parks and space for cars to turn
- windows on the abutting land that are close to the boundary, or
- the slope of the land and many other things.
A successful planning permit application has a design that meets the requirements of Res Code (Clause 55 of the Moreland Planning Scheme) and appropriately responds to:
- the properties on either side and at the back,
- the surrounding neighbourhood, and
- the particular features and constraints of the site.
Ask different questions
The question to ask yourself is not how many units can I fit on my land, but does my proposal satisfy ResCode (Clause 55 of the Moreland Planning Scheme) and will your proposal fit in with the character of the area?
Does Moreland have any specific variations to ResCode (Clause 55) for unit applications?
No. For decisions on ResCode applications Council also looks at local policies such as the Urban Village Policy (clause 22.02 of the Moreland Planning Scheme) and Neighbourhood Character Policy (clause 22.10 of the Moreland Planning Scheme). Policies like these also help determine the size and scale of unit developments.
Files
- Planning Permit Application - Two or more dwellings on a lot checklist (PDF 110Kb)
- Planning Permit Application - Two or more dwellings on a lot checklist (DOC 51Kb)
- Small to medium scale development - ESD information guide (DOC 34Kb)
- Large scale development - ESD information guide (DOC 38Kb)
