Willoughby Council undertook a comprehensive review of its planning framework to give effect to the North District Plan, Local Strategic Planning Statement and Willoughby Local Housing Strategy.

Willoughby LGA is home to over 79,000 people. 83% of the population work within the LGA, with Chatswood alone providing employment for over 20,000 people.

The new amendment implements significant planning strategies to update and refine the planning controls, as well as provide additional capacity for employment and housing growth in the area.

The vast number of changes broadly include:

•  increase height and FSR controls in the strategic centres of Chatswood CBD and St Leonards,
• expand the Chatswood CBD boundary area and introduce additional planning controls, including sun access protection for key public open space, minimum lot sizes for commercial and mixed-use development and minimum non-residential FSR requirements for the mixed-use zone,
• increase height and FSR controls in the local centres of Artarmon, North Willoughby, Naremburn, Castlecrag, Northbridge, Penshurst Street, Willoughby and Willoughby South,
• amend the planning controls and permissible uses for certain sites in the industrial areas of Artarmon, East Chatswood and Lane Cove North,
• adequate affordable housing is provided where residential density is increased,
• two additional heritage items, and
• encourages sustainable and resilient development objectives, updates the existing design excellence clause and introduces a new urban heat clause.

Developers now eagerly await the finalised DCP parking rates, which will be key to the feasibility of future projects.