sydney-city-centre-review-of-environmental-factors

4.2.2 Sydney DCPs
Development control plans (DCPs) are non-statutory documents. They support LEPs
by providing more detailed planning and design guidelines. Like the Sydney LEP, the
policies and provisions of Sydney DCPs do not apply to the proposal (refer to
section 4.1.1); however they are relevant in identifying potential land use impacts and
planning policy conflicts.
Twenty-six (26) DCPs have been developed to cover the City of Sydney LGA.
Certain DCPs cover geographical areas whilst others cover certain activities and
development-types. Five DCPs are relevant to this proposal:
Sydney Development Control Plan 2012 (Sydney DCP)
Central Sydney DCP 2006
Access DCP 2004
Contaminated Land DCP 2004
Heritage DCP 2006.
These are discussed in turn below.
Sydney DCP
The Sydney DCP focuses on ensuring that development progresses in accordance
with the following general objectives:
Encouraging development that is consistent with the built environment and
public domain
Recognising and reinforcing the city centre’s distinctive characteristics,
neighbourhoods and centres
Building upon the Sydney LEP objectives and controls
Protecting and enhancing the public domain and active street frontages
Achieving the objectives of the city’s Sustainability Sydney 2030 strategy
Encouraging development that maintains and enhances heritage character,
heritage items and heritage conservation
Encouraging ecologically sustainable development (ESD).
In addition, the Sydney DCP contains locality statements and supporting principles
for development within all areas and neighbourhoods of the city. The proposal is
located in the ‘Central Sydney’ locality. Each locality contains a number of special
character areas. In the case of Central Sydney, the special character areas are
considered to ‘be of significance and importance to the identity and quality [of the
locality] and include some or all of the following characteristics:
A character that is unmatched elsewhere in Central Sydney
A concentration of heritage items and streetscapes
A highly distinctive element in the public domain
A focus on public life with high cultural significance
A widely acknowledged public identity’.
Development in a special character area must:
Retain and enhance the unique character of the area
Ensure regard is given to the fabric and character of the area
Conserve and protect heritage items and their settings
Maintain daylight access
Encourage active frontages to the public domain
Conserve, maintain and enhance existing views and vistas to buildings and
places of historic and aesthetic significance.
Sydney City Centre Capacity Improvement 149
Review of Environmental Factors