General planning enquiries

A City of Vincent Urban Planner is available Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) from 8.30am to 5pm to assist customers with general planning enquiries.

We can assist with general enquiries such as:

• land zoning
• development application lodgement and process
• statutory timeframes
• community consultation requirements
• general advice on local planning policy requirements

Urban Planners cannot confirm if any departure from the planning framework or development application would be supported without a formal submission. 

Meet with an Urban Planner at the Vincent Administration Building. 

Pre-lodgement meeting

The City of Vincent invites pre-lodgment meetings for all application types however please be mindful, general enquiries should be dealt with through the general enquiries process detailed above.

Depending on the application type, a pre-lodgement meeting can be held with an Urban Planner, Senior Urban Planner or Coordinator Planning Services. The purpose of pre-lodgement meetings are for the City’s officers to review the proposal, provide general advice, identify areas of improvement and to discuss the development application process. Pre-lodgement meetings will not confirm whether or not the City will support the proposal. 

To request a pre-lodgement meeting, please email us requesting a meeting and including a copy of plans and a brief description of your proposal.

Written planning advice

We can provide formal advice in writing in relation to a number of planning matters.

Our team will provide you with as much information as possible and give some direction as to whether a proposal could be improved, or areas to be considered. We cannot:

• Confirm whether or not a departure would or would not be supported in the absence of a formal development application
• Confirm whether a proposal would or would not be supported in the absence of a formal development application
• Undertake a full assessment of a proposal in the absence of a formal development application

Written Planning Advice Application Form

Deemed-to-comply check

What is the deemed-to-comply check?

The construction of a new single house, or extensions and/or renovations to an existing house may be exempt from requiring development approval if they meet the deemed-to-comply criteria of Volume 1 of the Residential Design Codes or any local planning policy that amends or replace these criteria. 

The deemed-to-comply check allows applicants who are intending on either building a new single house or extending and/or altering an existing single house to seek advice from the City as to whether development approval is needed for what they are proposing. 

The intent of this check is to provide applicants with confidence that their proposal can proceed straight to building permit. 

This is a voluntary process that only applies to single houses and extensions or renovations to existing single houses.

How can I apply for a deemed-to-comply check and what do I submit?

An application for a deemed-to-comply check must be made to the City using the correct form, found in the relevant forms section below. 

The fee for a deemed-to-comply check is currently $295.

The following relevant documentation must be submitted with the application:

• Site Plan - showing lot dimensions, all existing an proposed structures, existing and proposed existing and proposed ground levels, any structures proposed to be removed, existing and proposed pedestrian and vehicle access, car parking spaces including layout and dimensions, any proposed open space and landscaping
• Floor Plans - of buildings proposed to be erected or altered, and any buildings proposed to be retained, complete with setbacks to all lot boundaries
• Elevation Plans - of buildings proposed to be erected or altered, and any buildings proposed to be retained, complete with existing and proposed ground levels and wall and roof height dimensions taken from natural ground level
• Landscape Plan - showing planting areas and proposed tree locations and species

You may be asked to provide more information before the application is accepted and lodged.

You can lodge your application by emailing mail@vincent.wa.gov.au. The application is not accepted until payment has been received.   

What advice would I receive back from the City?

Once accepted and lodged, the City will review the application and information provided to check whether what is being proposed meets all the relevant deemed-to-comply criteria of the R-Codes Volume 1 and, where relevant, any local planning policy.

It is important to note that this is not a de-facto development application process, but a simple check of the proposal against the deemed-to-comply criteria of the R-Codes and any relevant local planning policy.

Advice of the outcome will be provided within 14 days of the application being accepted and lodged.

The advice will state either that:

• The proposal is exempt from development approval; or 
• The proposal is not exempt from development approval. This will include the reasons why, by briefly outlining where and how the proposal does not meet the deemed-to- comply criteria of the R-Codes and any relevant local planning policy

What happens next?

If the advice states that your proposal is exempt, you may lodge an application for a building permit.

If your proposal is not exempt, you have a number of options available to you:

• You may apply for development approval, or
• You may amend your plans to address the areas of non-compliance and submit another deemed-to-comply check, or
• You may amend your plans to address the areas of non-compliance and apply for a building permit. Please note that if you choose this option, an area of non-compliance that was not addressed fully may be identified through the building permit process and you may be requested to apply for development approval

Relevant form

Deemed-to-Comply Check Application Form