GLOSSOP TOWN PLANNING PTY LTD

Introduction

Glossop Town Planning specialises in providing statutory and strategic planning advice and representation to public sector authorities, including local government and servicing authorities. As a former local government planner and current sessional planning panel member, the firm’s principal has an understanding of and commitment to the practice of planning at the local and regional level.

The firm will not represent clients in circumstances that would conflict with the firm’s vision. 

The Principal

John Glossop has been involved with the property industry since 1988. After completing an honours degree in Urban Studies at Victoria University of Technology, he gained extensive experience as a planner in local government.

Before establishing his practice in 1997, John was Strategic and Social Planning Manager at the Melton Shire Council. Since then, he has gained extensive experience in the development and introduction of Victoria’s new planning system, both as a panel and advisory committee member and practitioner.

John has developed skills in the areas of:

• Statutory and strategic land use planning (especially in rural and fringe areas);
• Catchment management;
• The implementation of planning strategy through the development of statutory planning controls;
• The format and construction of planning schemes;
• Policy development
• Planning scheme & Council planning unit audits

Residential Development

The Minister for Planning appointed John to the ResCode 2000 Advisory Committee on 12 June 2000. The Committee’s report has now been released and its recommendations were largely adopted by the Minister.

The Committee’s report analysed residential development controls in Victoria and contained a complete redraft of the state’s existing residential development controls.

John has gained considerable experience as both an advocate and expert witness at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). John has advised and represented resident groups, councils and private sector developers on a range of land use planning matters including medium density housing and catchment management.

John is an experienced mediator and regularly hosts resident-developer forums where he encourages the parties to resolve the issues in dispute without recourse to VCAT. John has undertaken mediation training at the University of Melbourne and has completed an honours thesis on mediation in town planning.

Planning Advocacy and Expert Witness Statements

Since establishing his practice, John has gained extensive experience as both an advocate and expert witness at both the VCAT and panel hearings.

In these forums, John regularly represents water authorities, local government and private sector clients. John has given expert evidence on water quality and catchment management, rural land use, medium density housing and residential amenity as well as appearing as an advocate on issues ranging from buffer zones around waste water treatment plants to brothels.

Local government clients include the cities of Yarra, Knox, Darebin, Brimbank and the shires of Yarra Ranges and Hepburn. He has also provided planning evidence on behalf of Western Water, Southern Rural Water, Central Highlands Water and Barwon water.

Strategic Planning

John has extensive strategic planning experience at the state and local level. As a local government planner, John was responsible for developing the Melton Shire Council’s corporate and strategic land use planning frameworks. Since then, John has undertaken strategic planning projects for a range of public and private sector clients such as Western Water, Central Highlands Water, Barwon Water, Southern Rural Water, the City of Brimbank and the City of Hume. In addition to this, John’s experience as a panel member has given him a breadth of knowledge and skills in this important discipline.

Catchment Planning

Since commencing his practice, John has been closely involved in catchment planning issues. John has represented Western Water, Central Highlands Water and Southern Rural Water at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and Panels as both an advocate and expert witness. He has developed a catchment policy to land in the Moorabool shire and is currently working on projects in both Colac Otway Shire and Macedon Ranges Shire.

John has a clear understanding of:

• The impact of the State Planning Policy Framework and other relevant planning policies on development in potable water catchments
• The role played by planning in protecting catchments
• The form of development controls that should apply to catchments

Current and past clients include Central Highlanss Water, Melbourne Water, Barwon Water, Southern Rural Water and Western Water.

Planning Reform

Since establishing his practice, John has gained extensive experience in new format planning schemes, municipal strategic statements and local planning policies.

In late 1997, the Minister for Planning appointed him to a team responsible for assessing new format planning schemes. As a panel member, John has been involved in the introduction of a number of new format planning schemes including:

• Melbourne
• Delatite
• Wodonga
• Moira
• Alpine; and
• Murrindindi

Professional Referees

Click here to return to the home page