The City of Melbourne proposes to build on existing planning controls and protect significant heritage places in the Guildford and Hardware Laneways area through Amendment C271.

The amendment comes in response to recommendations in the Guildford and Hardware Laneways Study. The study was undertaken by heritage consultants Lovell Chen in May 2017 to identify additional culturally significant heritage places within the Guildford and Hardware Laneways area.

The study follows previous recognition and protection of the area through the Melbourne Planning Scheme via Design and Development Overlays, which apply height limits to buildings adjoining these laneways and existing individual Heritage Overlays. These existing planning controls have helped protect and reinforce the unique characteristics that make the area significant.