Fast-tracked housing applications for more trees, parking requirements, and other design standards
Housing applications that meet higher design standards — including planting more trees — would be fastracked under an overhaul of the state’s planning system.
Housing applications that meet higher design standards would be fastracked under an overhaul of the state’s planning system aimed at improving build quality of neighbourhoods and stem the loss of trees across Adelaide.
The State Planning Commission, responding to community concern about the quality of infill housing, is proposing to reward developers with a 10-day turnaround on applications if they meet minimum benchmarks around increased landscaping, stormwater retention, garaging and parking requirements in common housing applications.
Designs that were more sympathetic with the existing character of the neighbourhood would also help expedite approvals under changes to residential infill planning policies released for public consultation.
The policies are expected to form a major part of the new planning and design code, which takes full effect from July 2020 and which will replace all 68 council development plans with a single rule book.
Planning commissioner Michael Lennon said his office had heard “loud and clear” that policies governing urban regeneration had “fallen well short” in ensuring new housing was sympathetic to its neighbours.
“What we’re doing is looking to incentivise is much higher standards of infill development,” he said.
“We are deeply concerned with the loss of vegetation and tree canopy that’s occurred through infill development.
“Typically what is occurring is blocks are being cleared of all vegetation in order to have ease of access for construction and then in many cases minimum vegetation is being put in its place.”
Among more specific policies to improve infill housing quality under the proposed code were:
LANDSCAPED permeable garden space of 15 per cent for sites under 200sq m and 20 per cent for sites 201-450sq m;
AT LEAST one tree planting for each new home in small-scale housing development;
DEEP soil root zones for trees, and green walls and roofs in medium and high-rise developments;
SPECIFYING minimum garage widths and lengths to encourage people to park their cars onsite rather than use them for storages
MAXIMUM driveway widths to preserve on-street parking.
Mr Lennon said the commission was confident the measures proposed were “practical” and able to be implemented by the industry.
“What we are looking for is infill that fits more easily and gently into existing neighbourhoods, that has a consistency in look and feel and experience when you’re walking down the street, that doesn’t disrupt the existing character,” he said.
The code will also make it easier to build small self-contained units on allotments shared with an existing house, to enable people to downsize to a smaller home but remain in their neighbourhood.
The changes are out for public consultation ahead of the release of the draft planning and design code next month.