FAQs

Within the City’s LPS3 Clause 32.3 allows the City to require that a developer create a laneway through ceding and constructing that laneway at the developers cost. This can be activated where that laneway is identified by the scheme or a, structure plan, local development plan, activity centre plan or local planning policy at the time of the owner developing or subdividing the land. The Local Planning Policies act as a mechanism for the City to require the creation of those designated laneways. Ceding of private residential land for laneway creation can only be triggered through subdivision or significant redevelopment (such as multiple or grouped dwellings) of a site and is enforced through planning approval conditions.

The City has up until now created a series of Local Planning Policies covering specific laneways for example the Doonan Road Laneway Policy and the Smyth Road Laneway Policy. Moving forward the City is planning to undertake take a two-pronged holistic approach to firming up our position in relation to laneway creation, a Scheme Amendment (Scheme Amendment No. 6) and a Consolidated Local Planning Policy designating future laneways.

As LPS3 up coded many properties within the City of Nedlands the development potential on these properties has increased. With this increase in development potential the City requires additional access points to adequately service these sites and distribute traffic in an orderly manner. The City has experienced an influx of corner lot developments and subdivision up to 5 lots, each with their own crossover, on what was originally a large single lot with usually only one crossover. The City is seeking to consolidate this access, with preference for constructed laneways, each with their own built form controls to establish small streets with adequate passive surveillance and streetscape interface. These policies are being created to create buffers between densities, to remove access and traffic from Stirling Highway as well as a way to remove multiple cross overs from the streetscape.

In relation to existing laneways within the City (e.g. Mt Claremont) these will be addressed through a separate Local Planning Policy for existing laneways. While this policy is still being developed existing laneways will be required to be widened to 6m with equal ceding on both sides. Construction of the ceded portion of land will also be required as a condition of planning approval. The ceding and construction is only triggered through subdivision or significant redevelopment (such as multiple or grouped dwellings)

The City is proposing the allocation of a laneway between Taylor Rd and Dalkeith Rd to reduce the number of crossovers addressing Jenkins Ave. Following the gazette of the City of Nedlands Local Planning Scheme No. 3, properties to the immediate north of Jenkins Ave have been ‘up-coded’ to R60, which allows blocks to be subdivided into five (5) new lots. Each lot is entitled to a 6.0m wide vehicle driveway and crossover. To reduce the impact of the intensification of the land use on the adjoining ‘Safe Active Street’ (Jenkins Ave) and to minimise the creation of vehicle crossovers addressing the streetscape, the City is proposing the allocation of a laneway to remove vehicle access from the existing street network.

Land owners are only required to cede land at the time of ‘significant’ redevelopment or subdivision. There is no requirement to cede land unless a development application or subdivision is applied for and subsequently approved.

The City is currently pursuing a Scheme Amendment, which would allow the land area of a lot (pre-ceding) to be used as the development potential of a lot for the purposes of a development application. Subdivision and development potential is not proposed to be impacted by the Local Planning Policy.