Brisbane City Council provides helpful advice

So far, so good. Brisbane City Council has been extremely helpful this week .

I contacted them on Monday to find out three things:

1. Given there are some pretty tiny lots in Spring Hill, would we – given our combined lot size and layout – be able to reconfigure the boundaries to create two separate lots?
2. If reconfiguring the lots’ boundaries is possible, what would the minimum easement width need to be to ensure unfettered access to the rear house and to ensure code compliance?
3. And, on the basis that we comply with the easement requirements, could we build right up to the easement boundary?

Over the course of the week, the BCC Planning person was so helpful that she not only provided responses to my queries, but she also emailed me through the Petrie Terrace and Spring Hill Local Plan Code (relevant sections highlighted), the Residential Design Single-Unit Dwelling Code (relevant sections highlighted), and the Subdivision Code.

In answer to my queries, she provided the following response:

1. VERBAL - Reconfiguring the lots in theory is probably okay, but it will make the application Impact Assessable (which means we need to advertise and then consider external comments in our application)…I had already come to terms that this would be the case, because it doesn’t take much in Spring Hill to become Impact Assessable!
2. WRITTEN - Because the length of the lots are less than 40m, there would need to be an easement 3m wide and - within that – a driveway of 2.5m in width.
3. WRITTEN – We can build right to the edge of the easement, just not over it.

Having previously read through the Petrie Terrace and Spring Hill Local Plan Code, I already knew that it trumped all other codes, but I am not at all familiar with the  Subdivision Code….I can see that I am going to have to go through that with a fine tooth comb.

If in the end we are not able to reconfigure the lots (Subdivision Code), it will only mean that we cannot sell the back cottage…which is not the end of the world.  

I also asked the BCC lady if we needed a Town Planner to provide the planning report to Council as part of the application. She said that we are not required to do that, but she later emailed that it would be advisable to engage a Town Planner due to the complexities of the Spring Hill area.

I have been looking at all other building & planning applications in Spring Hill through the BCC website and I reckon that I can cobble something together myself – and with a little help from my friends. (Link to site is http://pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au/MasterView/masterplan/enquirer/default.aspx?utm_source=masking&utm_medium=url&utm_term=&utm_content=text-link&utm_campaign=MSK_masterview).  

I was also able to find out (WRITTEN BCC advice) that we do not need to supply a hydrological report given the location of our property, and that there are no minimum floor heights that we need to adhere to. That all just means that we are elevated enough to not have to worry about flooding or ponding, and that our property would not impact others in the event of a storm, etc.

So key next step now is to pay special attention to the Subdivision Code.

I’m offline for the next few days, but I’ll post again on Wednesday.

Have a great weekend.