Town planning in the City of Frankston.
Frankston · Frankston South · Langwarrin · Carrum Downs · Seaford · Frankston North
Frankston stretches from the metropolitan activity centre and its growing city core out to semi-rural Langwarrin, where low-density zones, significant vegetation and bushfire management controls set a very different planning context.
The municipality rewards applicants who read that context correctly: the centre is planned for intensification, while the green edges carry layered environmental controls where non-residential uses — childcare, places of worship, recreation — need careful policy positioning to succeed.
Our recent Frankston work spans both worlds: a greenfield childcare centre in Langwarrin approved across three concurrent overlays and a Road Zone access, and strategic retail advice on peripheral sales development for a major private client. We know how Frankston weighs its local policies on non-residential uses in residential areas.
Controls you'll commonly meet in Frankston.
Every property is different — these are the zones and overlays that most often shape applications in this municipality. Each links to the current ordinance in the Frankston planning scheme.
What the numbers say about Frankston.
planning applications recorded, FY2015–16 to FY2022–23
of determined applications resulted in a permit or notice of decision
median time from lodgement to decision
Source: Department of Transport and Planning, Planning Permit Activity Reporting (PPARS) register — historical data to mid-2023. Withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from the approval rate. These figures describe the council overall — your site's prospects depend on its specific controls.
Selected Frankston projects.
Childcare Centre, Langwarrin
Use and development of a new childcare centre in a Low Density Residential Zone — navigating non-residential use policy, three overlays, native vegetation offsets and a Road Zone Category 1 access.
Peripheral Sales Development, Frankston
Large-format retail (peripheral sales) development planning on behalf of a major private-sector client.
Services we provide in Frankston.
Residential
Single dwellings, dual occupancies, multi-unit and apartment developments — the backbone of our practice.
Commercial Permits
Statutory planning strategy, lodgement and permit management for commercial, retail and industrial projects.
VCAT Appeals
Strategic advocacy when your application is refused or objected to.
Strategic Planning
Planning scheme amendments, rezonings and structure plans for long-horizon projects.
Development Advice
Know what you can build before you buy — or before you commit capital.
Renewable Energy
Solar farms, wind farms and battery storage — specialist approvals experience.
Questions we’re asked most.
If you have a question that’s not here, call us — we answer honestly, whether or not it leads to work.
- Yes, with the right site and a policy-led application. Frankston assesses these uses against specific local policy expectations — site size, main-road frontage, interface treatment and traffic all matter. We secured approval for a Langwarrin childcare centre under three overlays plus native vegetation controls, so we know exactly where the tests sit.
Got a site, a permit, or a refusal on your desk?
An obligation-free conversation is the fastest way to see if we can help. We respond within 24 hours — usually much sooner.