Proposed changes to the council’s heritage and planning code will be considered through a formal review that seeks to ensure efficiency and transparency when assessing development applications.

The proposed review was first initiated by the council in January but required approval from state Planning Minister Nick Champion. InDaily can reveal that Champion will support the review, having last year encouraged local councils to update heritage codes.

According to the NPSP Council’s ‘Proposal to Initiate an Amendment to the Planning & Design Code’ document, an amendment would “ensure that the statements contain relevant and clear information to enable effective and efficient decision-making during development assessment”.

“No changes to increase the extent of the Historic Area or Character Area Overlay are proposed in this Code Amendment,” the document reads.

The review will analyse the 25 ‘Historic Areas’ in the NPSP Council boundary and the six ‘Character Areas’ across various suburbs including Norwood, Trinity Gardens and Hackney.

It will ensure the Historic and Character Statements contain relevant and clear information to streamline development application assessments. These statements are relied upon by architects, planners and heritage specialists to understand what designs and protections are required during development assessments.

The state government said it hoped the review would ensure areas with significant heritage and character, like NPSP, will retain their significance and be protected.

The review will not introduce new planning rules and there are no changes to increase the extent of the Historic Area or Character Area overlays.

The council said that in March 2021 the Planning and Design Code replaced the former City of NPSP Development Plan and its contents relating to all planning policy – including policy related to heritage and character.

This meant former Historic Zones were converted to the Historic Area Overlay, and most of the area formerly zoned as Residential (Character) Zone was converted to the Character Area Overlay.

“A key difference between these two overlays is that demolition control applies in the Historic Area Overlay only,” the council agenda from January 2024 reads.

“Therefore, within the Character Area Overlay, a property owner can demolish an old building, without the requirement to lodge an application for Planning Consent.

“A key principle of the Historic Area Overlay is the requirement for retention of original buildings, if the demolition of these buildings would diminish the historic value of the area.”

The agenda adds that Character Areas “tend to have a high concentration of original building stock, often with some limited more contemporary development present and with the highest concentrations of original buildings generally being confined to smaller pockets”.

The council said it was timely when the State Planning Commission wrote to councils in October 2023 to announce new guidelines for updating the Historic Area and Character Area Statements – originally introduced with the Planning and Design Code in March 2021.

Champion said he wanted to “protect local heritage to ensure we retain our state’s unique look, feel and charm for the enjoyment of future generations”.

“Character areas are important, so we want to improve clarity and structure around what is and isn’t allowed when updating or renovating heritage and character areas,” he said.

“It’s important we continue to update and refine the Planning and Design Code to ensure it is working to its full potential.

“I would like to commend the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters for progressing this important work to ensure the ongoing protecting of its valued heritage assets.”

Mayor Robert Bria said the council initiated the review of its heritage and planning code because the area has “a proud and strong history regarding heritage protection”.

“We know that within the current Character and Historic Areas, the lack of clarity has generated a degree of anxiety among residents, that the character of their suburb is at risk of inappropriate developments,” he said.

“We want a Code that provides for greater clarity and certainty for all parties when developments are considered in Character and Historic Areas and the Council believes these changes will deliver that.”