Western Sydney

Town planner in Penrith

Statements of Environmental Effects, development due diligence, duplex, granny flat, townhouse and subdivision DAs across the Penrith local government area. Fixed-fee proposals, usually within one business day.

Local Environmental PlanPenrith Local Environmental Plan 2010

Development Control PlanPenrith Development Control Plan 2014

State policiesCodes SEPP (Housing Code, Low Rise Housing Diversity Code), Housing SEPP 2021, low and mid-rise housing provisions

Planning in Penrith

Penrith's older suburbs around St Marys, Kingswood and Cambridge Park carry many dual occupancy and granny flat sites, and the council has clear DCP controls for both.

The Hawkesbury-Nepean flood planning area and the 2021 and 2022 flood events make flood mapping the first check on any Penrith site west of the M4 and around South Creek.

The Western Sydney Airport and the Orchard Hills and Luddenham precincts introduce aircraft noise and Aerotropolis SEPP provisions.

What we do for Penrith sites

Statements of Environmental Effects for new houses, knock-down rebuilds, alterations, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings and townhouses, written to Penrith Local Environmental Plan 2010 and Penrith Development Control Plan 2014.
Development due diligence reports before you buy: zoning, permissibility, yield, constraints and the approval pathway.
Dual occupancy and duplex planning, including minimum lot size and frontage checks, CDC eligibility under the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code and Torrens subdivision advice.
Granny flat planning where the site does not fit the Housing Code and a DA is needed.
Townhouse and multi dwelling housing yield testing, DCP compliance and SEE reports.
Subdivision, Clause 4.6 requests, DA or CDC advice and responses to council requests.

Suburbs we cover in Penrith

Penrith
St Marys
Kingswood
Cambridge Park
Werrington
Jordan Springs
Glenmore Park
Emu Plains
Cranebrook
Claremont Meadows
Orchard Hills
Caddens
South Penrith
Colyton
Erskine Park

How a DA works in Penrith

Development applications are lodged through the NSW Planning Portal and assessed by the council against the LEP, the DCP and the section 4.15 matters in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Where a proposal meets every standard in the Codes SEPP it may instead be approved as complying development by a private certifier, which is faster but has no room for merit assessment. We check both pathways before recommending one.

A complete application is the single biggest thing an applicant controls. Our Statements of Environmental Effects address the LEP and DCP in the order the assessing officer reads them, with the sources shown, so requests for information are the exception rather than the rule.

Frequently asked questions: Penrith

Do I need a Statement of Environmental Effects for a DA in Penrith?

Yes. Every development application lodged with Penrith council through the NSW Planning Portal needs a Statement of Environmental Effects that addresses Penrith Local Environmental Plan 2010 and Penrith Development Control Plan 2014. Complying development certificates do not.

Can I build a duplex in Penrith?

Dual occupancies are permissible with consent in most R2 and R3 zones, subject to the minimum lot size and frontage in Penrith Local Environmental Plan 2010 and the DCP controls. Since 1 July 2024 the state-wide dual occupancy provisions also apply to most R2 land. A site check confirms whether your lot qualifies and whether CDC or DA is the pathway.

Which planning controls apply in Penrith?

The zoning, lot size, height and floor space ratio come from Penrith Local Environmental Plan 2010; setbacks, site coverage, landscaping, privacy, parking and stormwater come from Penrith Development Control Plan 2014. State policies such as the Codes SEPP and the Housing SEPP sit over the top.

Do you visit sites in Penrith?

Most planning reports are desktop based, using the survey, drawings, aerial imagery and the Planning Portal. We inspect where access, slope, trees or neighbouring development make it worthwhile, and we work with local surveyors and engineers across Penrith.

Instrument names are stated as current at the time of writing. Councils amend their LEPs and DCPs; we confirm the version in force on the date of each report.