Find the right property
Assess prospective sites against your development objectives and identify planning risks before purchase.
From a home extension to a new development, we help you understand your options and navigate the municipal approval process.
Good planning starts
with the right questions.
We look at your property, your plans and the local planning requirements, then explain the options in plain language. From the first assessment to preparing and managing your application, we stay involved.
We work with property owners, designers, investors and developers to turn ideas into considered applications.
South African applications sit within SPLUMA, provincial legislation and the applicable municipal planning by-law and zoning scheme. In the Western Cape, we also consider the Land Use Planning Act and relevant spatial development frameworks.
Find your starting pointWhat are you planning?
Every project starts with a question. Choose what you have in mind to see how we can help.
Make room for your plans.
Planning an extension or an extra dwelling? We check the relevant development limits and advise whether a departure or another application may be needed.
Building lines / coverage / height
WhatsApp us Development potential
Realise your property’s development potential.
From site acquisition to development planning, we help property owners, investors and developers understand what is achievable, make informed decisions and move forward with a clear planning strategy.
Understand its potential
Explore additional dwellings, subdivision, redevelopment or alternative uses, taking account of existing land-use rights, title deed restrictions and zoning controls.
Plan the approval pathway
Understand the land-use applications, specialist inputs and key dependencies needed to progress your preferred option.
A clear basis for your next decision.
Get a clear view of the planning opportunities, the issues requiring further investigation and the recommended next steps. We help you understand the options before committing to a purchase or development.
Discuss your property’s potential
Share the address or erf number, whether you own the property or are considering buying it, and what you hope to achieve.
Services.
Practical support for the decisions and applications that move your project forward.
Building Line Departures
When a proposed addition or existing structure extends beyond the permitted building lines, we assess the options and prepare the departure application.
Learn moreConsent-Use Applications
Have a new use in mind? We check whether municipal consent is required and guide the application from preparation to a decision.
Learn moreRezoning Applications
If your plans call for a change in land-use rights, we assess the prospects, prepare the motivation and manage the rezoning application.
Learn moreSubdivision & Consolidation
Dividing or combining land? We assess the layout, access and services, and coordinate the municipal application with your land surveyor.
Learn moreProperty Due Diligence
Get a clearer picture before you buy or develop. We review the planning rights and restrictions that could shape your decision.
Learn moreSite Identification and Feasibility
Looking for a site that fits your plans? We help identify options and assess their planning potential before you invest further.
Learn moreOur approach.
We start by listening to what you want to achieve. Then we work through the planning requirements, explain the choices and keep you informed as your application progresses.
01
Tell us what you have in mind
We discuss your property, your goals and the information needed to get started.
02
Understand the property
We check the zoning, planning controls and constraints that matter to your proposal.
03
Agree on the way forward
You get a clear explanation of the application route, supporting work and issues to consider.
04
Keep things moving
We prepare and lodge the application, coordinate notification where required and follow up with the municipality and relevant authorities through to a decision.
Planning insights.
Practical answers for property owners and developers, from your first idea to the next approval.
PROPERTY PROBLEMS
Unapproved building work: where do I start?
Find the approval records, separate planning and building issues, and understand the steps towards resolving unauthorised additions or uses.
Read the guide
ADDITIONAL DWELLINGS
Can I add a rental flatlet?
Check the rights, parking, services and building requirements before adding a second dwelling or converting existing space for rental.
Read the guide
DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL
What could my property become?
Compare development options, test achievable yield and identify the planning and servicing constraints before committing to detailed design.
Read the guide
PROPERTY PURCHASE
Planning checks before you buy
Check advertised development potential, approval history, site constraints and unresolved risks before buying a property.
Read the guide
BUILDING LINES
Can I build closer to my boundary?
Understand building lines, title restrictions, neighbour permission and the approvals to check before extending towards a boundary.
Read the guide
BUSINESS PREMISES
Does my business need rezoning?
Check the proposed use, existing rights, parking and other approvals before buying or leasing premises for a business.
Read the guide
SUBDIVISION
How does a subdivision work?
Follow the subdivision process from a workable layout and planning approval through servicing, survey work and separate titles.
Read the guide
SPATIAL PLANNING
What is an urban edge?
Understand spatial policy, zoning and the risks of relying on future development claims when assessing land near a town.
Read the guideOur projects.
Our projects include residential, commercial and industrial proposals, from building line departures and consent uses to rezoning and subdivision applications.
South Africa
Common planning questions
A few questions that often come up at the start of a project.
When is a building line departure required?+
A permanent departure may be required if proposed or existing building work encroaches across a building line prescribed by the applicable zoning scheme and no exemption applies. Title deed conditions and previous approvals must also be checked. The municipality decides each application on its merits.
Does zoning determine all the development rights of a property?+
No. The applicable development parameters, overlays, title deed restrictions, conditions of approval and other statutory requirements may affect what can be developed. A property-specific review is recommended.
What if my proposed use is not permitted under the current zoning?+
Depending on the applicable zoning scheme and the proposal, consent use, rezoning or another application mechanism may be available. A permanent departure generally addresses a development parameter rather than granting unrestricted land-use rights. Municipal approval is discretionary.
When is a land-use application required for building work?+
Building work that complies with planning controls may not require a separate land-use application, although building plan approval may still be necessary. A departure or other approval may be required if the proposal does not comply with the scheme.
Can Planco assess a property before purchase?+
Yes. We assess zoning, known land-use rights, planning constraints and potential application requirements to assist with an informed property purchase.
Our offices.
South Africa
Garden Route
264 Silene StreetMossel Bay Golf Estate
Mossel Bay, 6500View on Google Maps
South Africa
Cape Town
184 Upper Buitenkant StreetOranjezicht
Cape Town, 8001View on Google Maps
Australia
Noosa
Suite 6–10, 28 Eenie Creek RoadNoosaville, QLD 4566
AustraliaView on Google Maps Visit Planco Australia
THE PERSON BEHIND PLANCO
Reinier Hanekom.
Managing Director & Principal Planner
Reinier brings over 15 years of town planning experience across South Africa and Australia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a postgraduate qualification in Sustainable Development.
He works with property owners, architects and developers on planning due diligence, development feasibility and planning applications, helping them understand their options and navigate approvals.
Let’s talk
about your plans.
Send us the property address or erf number and a few words about what you have in mind. We’ll help you work out where to start.