Neighbourhood Character Study

A draft Neighbourhood Character Study has now been completed. The Neighbourhood Character Study commenced in mid 2005 with two community workshops being held at the Stonnington City Centre and Prahran Town Hall. The Study Team then conducted detailed surveys of all "residential" and "mixed use" zoned areas of the municipality and identified 32 different Neighbourhood Character Precincts.

A Community Committee was formed to assist Council and the Study Team in undertaking the project and they met three times over the course of the study. In addition, feedback was sought during community consultation periods on the draft precinct areas and brochures.

Draft Precinct Brochures and Design Guidelines

The Neighbourhood Character Draft Precinct Brochures describe the existing character of the Precinct and what the community have told us that they value highly in each area.

The brochures include a 'Preferred Character Statement' for each Precinct. This describes what the Precinct should be like in the future, in terms of its buildings and streetscape qualities. Design Guidelines are also included as a part of the Brochures. These guidelines provide detailed information on how the Preferred Character Statement can be achieved. They address various aspects of designing new buildings or extensions, as well as site layout and landscaping.

Next Steps

Council is currently seeking authorisation from the Planning Minister to prepare an amendment to the Stonnington Planning Scheme to include a Housing and Neighborhood Character Policy. This Policy will 'apply' the Precinct Brochures in the consideration of planning applications for new residential development. The amendment will undergo a formal public exhibition period of one month providing opportunities for formal feedback on these documents and the proposed policy.

If you have any questions about the Study, please contact Council's Strategic Planning Department via email on Ph: 03 8290 1395.