Council offers a free pre-lodgement service for applicants to discuss a
proposal prior to lodging a formal development application.
The
pre-lodgement meeting provides the opportunity for applicants to meet with
relevant Council officers to raise queries, seek clarification on proposals and
for Council officers to provide advice and identify relevant matters for
consideration.
A pre-lodgement meeting is not suitable for general
enquiries. General enquiries can be answered over the phone or in person at the
Council offices at Stanthorpe and Warwick.
The role
of Council's pre-lodgement meeting
The pre-lodgement
meeting is intended to provide timely advice and avoid unnecessary delays to
development projects. The pre-lodgement meeting serves to promote and maintain
effective communication between the Council and prospective development
proponents.
Purpose
The
purpose of the pre-lodgement meetings with Council officers is to facilitate
well made applications, which is envisaged to enable a quicker decision process
for applicants. The meeting should identify matters relevant to the proposal or
site location that should be considered and addressed in preparing a development
application for the proposal.
Issues
The issues that the applicant raises prior to the
meeting will be investigated and discussed during the pre-lodgement meeting. To
obtain the best outcomes from the pre-lodgement meeting, applicants should
identify aspects of their proposal that do not comply with the Planning Scheme
which they wish to discuss.
Council officers will research and prepare
comments based on the information provided. Where possible, Council officers
will suggest alternative and acceptable outcomes and provide guidance on the
applicable legislation and development issues.
A pre-lodgement meeting
is for discussion and clarification purposes only and not intended to pre-empt a
final decision in relation to a development application. It does not determine
the outcome of any subsequent application, which will be the subject of detailed
assessment in accordance with the Planning Act 2016 and the Southern
Downs Planning Scheme.
Experienced and expert Council officers will
attend the pre-lodgement meeting. Applicants can then be assured that the
information they receive will be accurate and importantly, that the opinions
expressed will be supported further into the application process.
Requesting a pre-lodgement meeting
You need to contact Council to request a pre-lodgement meeting.
A Council officer will contact you to arrange a convenient
meeting time, and ascertain details of the proposed development. The information
you supply to Council when booking the pre-lodgement meeting will be used to
assist Council officers in preparing for the Pre-lodgement Meeting and ensures
that the appropriate officers attend the meeting, so that relevant issues can be
discussed.
Disclaimer: Pre-lodgement meetings are a
process to provide an exchange of information in respect to proposed development
prior to submitting a development application. The advice provided at these
meetings should NOT be taken as a commitment as to whether an application would
be approved or refused by Council. The pre-lodgement meeting process cannot
override Council’s duty of care and legislative responsibilities in the
assessment of development applications including considering matters raised by
possible submitters and referral agencies, or which come to light during the
detailed assessment process.