Element Advisory has provided extensive planning, design and property market advisory services to Coles Property Developments Ltd (Coles) over a long period of time. This has included identifying and assessing new opportunities for Coles supermarket anchored centres and then obtaining the necessary statutory approvals to allow for development delivery.

Recent centres that have been approved and developed include the Florida Beach Shopping Centre in Dawesville and the Currambine Village Shopping Centre near the Currambine Train Station in the City of Joondalup.

Our advisory role to support new Coles anchored supermarket developments has extended well beyond simply obtaining the required statutory planning approvals. We have researched, assessed and identified new opportunities for centres and completed demographic analysis and market assessments to augment the information that is available from the primarily east coast based Coles location planning and finance teams.

Once appropriate sites have been identified and procured, we have then obtained the necessary regulatory approvals to facilitate the delivery of the new centres. Although typically following the standard Development Assessment Panel (DAP) approval pathway, we have in some instances recommended the use of the COVID-19 response Part 17 planning approval pathway via the State Development Assessment Unit (SDAU) within the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) with approval then being granted by the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC).

Where necessary we have also prepared high level urban design concepts and master plans to support Coles proposals. This has been undertaken for the proposed Coles Shopping Centre in Ravenswood to demonstrate how the centre will sit appropriately within a larger emerging district centre context.

Our work has translated into new opportunities for Coles anchored centres to be delivered that are site responsive and tailored to meet market opportunities and the particular needs of local communities.

All new centres have traded beyond expectations and set the process and design benchmark for future Coles developments across Australia.

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Image credit: Coles Property Development Ltd