Design Excellence Panel

In light of current circumstances Design Excellence Panel meetings will be held online until further notice.

The primary function of the Design Excellence Panel (DEP) is to advise Council and the public of the design quality of development applications so that Council can determine whether such applications will contribute to an improvement in the built environment of Liverpool. Given Liverpool’s 'Regional City' status, Council is seeking to encourage quality development and promote best practice urban design for developments of a significant scale.

The Panel is comprised of industry experts in the field of architecture and provide expert advice on applications, planning proposals or polices relating to major commercial and residential development within the Liverpool Local Government Area. The panel will aim to review early in the design process and wherever possible prior to the submission of relevant development applications, or following the receipt of an application by Council where appropriate.

The panel play an advisory role but is not a decision-making body.


For a Design Excellence Panel meeting to proceed:

  • Plans must be prepared by a registered architect;
  • All plans must include the registered architect’s number;
  • Plans must highlight the area constituting floor space;
  • The registered architect must attend the meeting.

The Design Excellence Panel will provide advice on the following:

  • All residential flat buildings;
  • Medium-density developments of thirty (30) units or more;
  • New developments within the Liverpool city centre over three (3) storeys;
  • New buildings or major extensions to existing development within business zones (outside of the Liverpool city centre) which are three (3) storeys or more;
  • Any development which has an interface with significant public space;
  • Any development  deemed  by  the  Manager  Development  Assessment  and/or  Manager City Planning to have a potentially significant impact on the amenity of the locality or region; and
  • Any new building or major extensions to existing buildings (except for low-density residential development) adjacent to the Georges River, or any new industrial or commercial development adjacent to environmentally sensitive land or vegetation.