Located in Melrose Park, this residential project involves the construction of a new two-storey dwelling with a pool and extensive landscaping on a rear battle axe lot. The property backs onto a vegetated public reserve and is accessed via a long, tapered driveway from Wharf Road. Its deep lot geometry, physical separation from the street, and interface with public open space required a tailored planning response to ensure the built form remained both compliant and contextually appropriate. The design responds directly to the constraints and opportunities presented by battle axe lot residential design.
The battle axe configuration presented challenges in achieving a compliant site layout that respected privacy, landscape, and visual amenity objectives. The location of the pool, outdoor living spaces, and driveway needed careful planning to maintain solar access, minimise overlooking, and ensure acoustic performance—particularly where the site abutted sensitive vegetation to the rear. Additionally, setbacks, site coverage, and deep soil planting requirements had to be met without overburdening the irregular lot shape or undermining rear open space character.
Our Approach
Plan for Tomorrow prepared a Statement of Environmental Effects that addressed both built form compliance and spatial integration with the surrounding landscape. The planning submission demonstrated how the dwelling’s orientation, alfresco placement, and pool setbacks responded sensitively to the rear reserve and neighbouring dwellings. Detailed consideration was given to soft landscaping, stormwater management, and the articulation of side façades. The report also justified the site layout in light of Council’s expectations for privacy, outlook, and neighbourhood character on constrained rear lots.
The Outcome
The development application was approved without requiring design amendments. The planning submission clearly demonstrated how the proposal satisfied Council’s controls while responding to the site’s unique configuration and landscaped setting. The outcome highlights the role of targeted justification and site-specific analysis in delivering high-quality residential outcomes on battle axe lots within established low-density suburbs.
