Proposal to lift cap on number of dwellings in three suburbs

CAMPBELLTOWN Council is seeking to remove the cap on the number of dwellings in three established suburbs in the local government area.

The new Claymore housing estate at the start of the year. Picture: Robert Pozo

CAMPBELLTOWN Council will put forward a proposal to the community in the next few weeks to remove the cap on the number of dwellings in three established suburbs.

The proposal would see the cap lifted on the number of dwellings in the Campbelltown Local Environment Plan for Claymore, Airds/Bradbury and Western Sydney University’s Macarthur Heights development.

This would allow more secondary dwellings, such as a granny flat, to be built.

The Airds Bradbury Renewal Project resulted in many more new dwellings in Airds in the last five years.

Airds/Bradbury is currently capped at 2104 dwellings, Claymore at 1490 and Macarthur Heights at 850. Under the plan, zoning for the suburbs will not change.

The council put forward the proposal after changes to the State Environmental Planning Policies to make it easier for people to build a secondary dwelling on their property resulted in more people building granny flats, pushing each suburb closer to their dwelling limits.

When questioned by councillors, Campbelltown Council director city development Jim Baldwin said removing the caps would ensure people buying a housing lot in the suburbs or wanting to build a granny flat would not be stuck with land they couldn’t build on due to the cap already being reached.

A housing design for Campbelltown including a house and granny flat.

Mr Baldwin said that removing the cap might increase the number of houses being built in the Macarthur Heights estate, but it was unlikely there would be a large increase in Claymore or Airds/Bradbury

“I would estimate there would potentially be another 200 to 300 dwellings,” Mr Baldwin said.

Labor Cr Karen Hunt said the council’s ‘hands were tied’ by the NSW Government’s changes to planning policies.

“If we don’t do this then we’ll have people who are on land that they can’t do anything with,” she said.

“Most of the people benefitting from this are those who are looking to build a granny flat for purposes like helping their kids save for a house by giving them somewhere to live.”

Liberal Cr George Greiss, supporting the proposal, said removing the caps would add more diversity into the local housing market.

“It plays a role in the housing market and we shouldn’t stand here and say to people you can’t build a granny flat,” he said.

Campbelltown councillors endorsed the proposal at last night’s meeting, with only independent Councillor Bob Thompson voting against it.

The proposal will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days.

Details: campbelltown.nsw.gov.au