Renovation of a home which will result in a change to the shape or the size of the home will require an approval.
During the assessment of an application, authorities consider compliance with planning and construction requirements. They also assess the degree to which your project may affect surrounding properties.
In the Sydney area, there are two systems for assessing applications and issuing approvals:
- Local Council approval system
- State Government approval system
Local Council approval system
The local Council approval system has two stages known as Development Application and Construction Certificate. These are commonly known as D.A. and C.C. When you use the local Council process you need both the D.A. and C.C. approved before you can commence construction.
State Government approval system
The State Government approval system, commonly known as a Complying Development, is a single stage process. After the application is approved, you will obtain a Complying Development Certificate (C.D.C.). After you receive this Certificate, construction can commence.
Reasons for employing either approval system
Not surprisingly, there are certain differences between the D.A. and C.D.C. process.
The D.A. process through Council may allow you an opportunity to discuss modifications of some rules. Usually this is possible if the proposal that you are presenting is reasonable and meets the Council’s objectives.
Conversely, the C.D.C. process is completely non-negotiable. Here you must comply with all requirements for a C.D.C., otherwise your application will not be approved.
How to know which approval system is best for your project?
The decision to select the most appropriate approval system requires an excellent knowledge of the rules and requires experience in this area. Hence your Designer needs to be able to give you good advice about which process is going to be the most beneficial to you and your project, and why.
Using the Council process will take longer, but the benefits of achieving a more suitable design outcome for your project may be the most crucial factor for you. In other cases, your project will comply with the State Government regulations and therefore receive approval sooner.
In particular, we have special expertise with the northern Sydney councils, including:
- Home Renovation in Ku-ring-gai Council
- Home Renovation in Lane Cove Council
- Home Renovation in Willoughby Council
Contact
With extensive experience in dealing with both Councils and the State Government regulations, and a 100% success rate of all approvals, we can guide you through this process and advise on what will best suit your project.
Avoid costly mistakes and get the home you really want. Why not contact us today?
