Prospect Council issues ‘zero tolerance’ edict to developers breaching development approvals on major roads

Developers “dumbing down” projects and breaching planning approvals face a “zero tolerance” crackdown by one council on some of Adelaide’s busiest roads.

Developers caught “dumbing down” projects and breaching planning approvals will face a council crackdown under a “zero tolerance” policy to tackle illegal development.

Prospect Council has put developers of multistorey apartments and commercial projects on notice that it will no longer let them get away with abusing planning approvals.

Under a revised enforcement policy inspectors will be explicitly empowered to adopt a “zero tolerance” to breaches of development approvals in higher density apartment and mixed-use projects along main streets including Main North Rd, Prospect Rd and Churchill Rd.

“This means that swift action by council can be expected,” the policy says.

Councils can take enforcement action against developers including ordering them to rectify breaches, issuing fines or launching legal action. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to $20,000.

Higher density development has flourished in Prospect Council due to State Government led rezoning that raised building heights on major roads.

Prospect Mayor David O'Loughlin says the council is fed up with developers “dumbing down” their buildings after planning approval. Picture: Matt Loxton

Prospect Mayor David O’Loughlin said the council had “grown weary” of developers “flouting the law (and) dumbing down their approval” by changing or excluding features of the building’s “external” appearance.

“We’ll be taking a zero tolerance approach, any illegal development will be detected, and not tolerated and remedies will be enforced,” he said.

“We’ve had some instances where developers have simply left off major elements of the building and we’ve had to chase them up and it’s taken months and months.

“We’ve had other people change materials to cheaper materials that aren’t as long lasting and we’ve had to argue with them to remedy that.

Prospect Residents Association President Elizabeth Crisp and Prospect Councillor Kristina Barnett in front of controversial four-storey apartments on Churchill Rd, pictured in July 2018. Picture: Roy Van der Vegt/AAP

“We’ve been conciliatory and we find good developers do the right thing but others think they can get away with anything and we are simply saying ‘not on our turf’ – we are more or less saying build what you asked to be approved, nothing less.”

He said the council was deliberately targeting projects “three-storeys and above” and on main roads because they were more prominent in the landscape.

He said some developers also damage and “make a mess of streets and footpaths and we’re not going to tolerate it any longer.”

The revised policy is out for public consultation until May 14.