Planning & Environmental Law
Atkinson Vinden Lawyers are skilled in the area of planning and environmental law, including issues dealing with local councils, private instruments affecting land, conditions of development consent, appeals to the Land & Environment Court, building and compliance certificates and all advice relating to NSW planning laws and State environmental planning policies.
It is important to address these planning issues at the earliest available opportunity in order to avoid enforcement action from a local council or from a third party such as a neighbour. Notably in NSW any person may bring proceedings in the Land & Environment Court to restrain a breach of a development consent. This is known as 'open standing'.
We can provide advice on objecting to development that may have a detrimental impact on property and we have an in depth knowledge of the decision making process. Often our clients' interests can be furthered by a freedom of information application to obtain certain documents such as council reports and we can provide advice on how to structure a development application.
New laws have recently been introduced relating to design of residential flat buildings, development in bushfire prone areas, as well as sensitive coastal areas.
