Council has adopted a new consolidated Central Coast Local Environment Plan (LEP) and Development Control Plan (DCP), which will lead to better planning outcomes, particularly on the Peninsula.
But they will not come into force until the State Government gazettes them sometime early this year.
The plans were adopted by Administrator Dick Persson at the December 14 meeting but Council still had some work to do before submitting them documents to the State Government for sign off.
The two planning instruments harmonise the guidelines that are used for development applications and planning proposals across the Coast.
Once gazetted, the consolidated instruments will allow dual occupancies in the former Gosford council area, including the Peninsula.
Under the old LEP, the former Gosford area only allowed secondary dwellings in R2 zones.
The new rules mean better planning outcomes because secondary dwellings that apply under the dual occupancy rules can be bigger and must take into account parking and private open space requirements.
In the Woy Woy peninsula area in particular, this gives residents more choices.
The consolidated LEP retained the 8.5m maximum building height in the former Gosford council area R2 Low Density Residential zone; and kept the 550m2 minimum lot size where it currently applies in the R2 Low Density Residential zone in the former Gosford council area.
Where there were differences between the former Gosford and former Wyong council areas, one control was chosen to be universal across the Coast – except for the minimum lot size where Council decided to run with both.
The current DCP Floodplain Management controls have been adopted – for the present.
The Council is working on bringing maps up to a contemporary standard; that should be sorted by April.
So what is a DCP and an LEP?
The LEP outlines the zoning of land, and what development and activities are allowed in each zone and any special provisions applying to land, such as heritage requirements.
The DCP identifies Council’s required design and construction standards.
It includes topics such setbacks and height restrictions, access to sunlight, and who needs to be told when someone wants to develop their land.
When the Council was created from the merger of the former Wyong and Gosford councils, their LEPs and DCPs had to be consolidated.
That is what has now been achieved.
The consolidated DCP and LEP are only step one on a long journey to a Comprehensive LEP.
Merilyn Vale