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Review of plot ratio and built form controls
Two amendments to the City Planning Scheme No. 2 (CPS No. 2) are proposed following the City’s ‘Growth Needs for the Future – Plot Ratio and Built Form Study’ (Plot Ratio and Built Form Study).
The amendments are intended to provide for the future growth needs of the city over the next 20 years and ensure that CPS No. 2 aligns with the City’s strategic vision for the development of the city as set out in the Urban Design Framework (UDF), adopted in September 2010.
The amendments involve changes to the City Planning Scheme No. 2, Precinct Plans and a number of the planning policies.
Amendment No. 26 to CPS No. 2 (Built form controls)
Built form
A revised approach to built form controls is proposed to ensure developments achieve high quality design whist allowing for design flexibility to respond to the context of its site and surrounds.
The built form controls seek to ensure the creation of a city that is diverse and interesting with rich cultural heritage.
The proposed changes to the built form controls ensure development:
- is functional and of a high architectural design quality;
- delivers a high level of amenity within the public realm;
- delivers a high level of amenity within buildings; and
- contributes to an attractive city skyline and outlook from the public realm.
The amendment proposes changes to the built form controls and specifically the:
- street building heights;
- maximum building heights; and
- street, side and rear setbacks.
This includes:
- Refining the maximum height of buildings at the street, so that they align with city’s hierarchy of streets outlined in the UDF.
- Specifying maximum building heights only in select areas of the city, where there is a need to protect the public amenity of key pedestrian areas or public spaces and established character areas. It is important to note that elsewhere in the city, no maximum building heights are proposed. In these areas, building heights will be indirectly controlled through plot ratio, street frontage building height and setback controls as well as broader development objectives.
- Applying side/rear setback controls across the majority of the city, to protect both public and private amenity.
- Reviewing street set back controls.
Areas affected by Amendment
Download the Amendment No.26 Report which identifies the areas of the city where changes are proposed to the built form controls. There are a number of areas where no changes are proposed to the built form controls. However, in some of these areas minor changes to the land use vision are proposed to align with the bonus plot ratio changes under Amendment No. 25.
Key Steps
The Amendment was advertised for public comment from November 2012 to 29 January 2013. Submissions are now being assessed and the Amendment will be referred to the Council for consideration of final adoption in coming months. Should the Council choose to adopt the Amendment it will then be forwarded to the Western Australian Planning Commission and the Minister for Planning for final approval. Once final approval is granted the Amendment is required to be published in the Government Gazette and comes into operation from the date of gazettal.
| Timeline | Key steps |
| 18 September 2012 | Council initiated Amendment No. 26 |
| October 2012 | Referral of Amendment to Environmental Protection Authority |
| Nov 2012 - 29 Jan 2013 | Public comment period |
| Council to consider submissions and final adoption of amendment | |
| Amendment to be referred to Western Australian Planning Commission | |
| Minister for Planning to approve amendment | |
| Amendment gazetted and comes into operation |
For more information contact:
Samantha Ferguson
Principal Strategic Town Planner
9461 3245
samantha.ferguson@cityofperth.wa.gov.au
or
Kathy Lees
Strategic Town Planner
9461 3129
kathy.lees@cityofperth.wa.gov.au
Amendment No. 25 to CPS No. 2 (Maximum plot ratio, bonus plot ratio and land use controls)
After considering all submissions received, Council resolved at its meeting on the 11 December 2012 to adopt Amendment No. 25 to City Planning Scheme No. 2 with modifications. For further details of these modifications please refer to the Planning Committee Agenda dated 4 December 2012 listed below.
The Amendment was granted final approval by the Minister for Planning on 19 February 2013 after a minor modification. It was subsequently published in the Government Gazette on 26 February 2013 and came into operation from that date.
The Amendment includes:
- increases to the maximum plot ratios across large parts of the city to provide additional development capacity in the central business district and distinguish it from the remainder of the city, encourage a greater intensity of development surrounding the city’s train stations and town centres and greater residential development in parts of the city;
- expansion of items eligible for bonus plot ratio to encourage market delivery of strategic priorities of the City as follows:
- residential development in the city core attracting a possible bonus of up to 20%;
- special residential development in select areas of the city attracting a possible bonus of up to 20% or up to 40% for high quality hotels;
- the overall maximum bonus plot ratio in select areas of the city is to be increased from 20% to 50% to allow a combination of bonus items; and - refinement of the existing bonus plot ratio provisions to better align with strategic needs, ensure high quality outcomes, remove public view as an item eligible for bonus plot ratio and remove the Normalised East Perth Redevelopment Authority Area from the application area.
| Timeline | Key steps |
| 24 April 2012 | Council initiated Amendment No. 25 |
| 28 May 2012 | Environmental Protection Authority advice - no assessment required |
| 11 June 2012 – 13 August 2012 | Public comment period |
| 11 December 2012 | Council adopted Amendment No. 25 with modifications |
| 19 February 2013 | Amendment No. 25 granted final approval by Minister for Planning |
| 26 February 2013 | Amendment No. 25 gazetted and operational |
For more information contact:
Kathy Lees
Strategic Town Planner
9461 3129
kathy.lees@cityofperth.wa.gov.au