If you are thinking of building a granny flat in Blacktown, NSW, here is a summary of Blacktown Council granny flat requirements:

 

• No car parking spots are necessary.
• You may be required to pay a Council contribution, as per the Section 7.11 Contributions plan, which will be assessed against your application for approval.
• Blacktown City Council abides by the regulations of the AHSEPP, so your block must be at least 450sqm, and you are restricted by a floor space ratio.
• You can be approved by either a CDC or DA.
• Specific regulations for your design can be seen in the Blacktown Development Control Plan 2015 and Blacktown Engineering Guideline and Specification.
• Set rules for zoning are in the Blacktown Local Environmental Plan 2015 (LEP).

 

Today I will cover your requirements to:

 

• Make any Council contributions.
• Stick to any land size restrictions, and
• Design your granny flat a certain way to fit in with the suburb.

 

 

I will also discuss the demographics of Blacktown and its’ surrounding suburbs, so who your optimal tenant would be and how the granny flat should look to suit.

 

Do You Need Off-Street Parking in Blacktown?

 

Simply put – no.

 

The Council known as the Blacktown City, or an accredited certifier, can approve your secondary dwelling under Complying Development (CDC), as long as it meets the specific benchmarks as set in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable Rental Housing) 2009 (AHSEPP).

 

These can be seen in Schedule 1 of AHSEPP, which clearly declares that another space for a car to park is not required at a granny flat .

 

The declaration goes as follows;

 

• “There is no requirement that additional parking spaces be provided in respect of development for the purposes of a secondary dwelling.”

 

Yet, I suggest you think about whether car parking would be beneficial for your tenants – that is, whether it it will be helpful to the target market for your granny flat.

 

I recommend you ponder this because, if you are planning on renting the granny flat out, it is something your competition in the market will often fail to think of.

 

So, dependent on who you are marketing the granny flat towards, they may be more likely to take a fancy to your granny flat if it has car parking.

 

See sub-heading “Demographic of Blacktown and Surrounding Suburbs, & Who Would Be Your Optimal Tenant?”, where I will elaborate on this.

 

Are There Council Contributions that Must be Made?

 

Yes – currently, in Blacktown city, if you are building a granny flat (which are also known as secondary dwellings) on your property, you may be required to pay a contribution to the Council under the Section 7.11 Contributions plan.

 

As per the plan, at the time of writing this for Blacktown city Council the rates payable are:

 

• 1 bedroom = Up to $11, 070.00.
• 2 bedrooms = Up to $15, 376.00
• 3 bedrooms = $21,526.00 (capped at $20,000.00).

 

A bedroom is classified as any room that was deliberately planned to be used as a bedroom, or any room that is able to be modified/used as an independent bedroom (i.e. a study).

 

As such, I suggest you check the Blacktown City Council’s website for their current contributions.

 

These Contributions are generally applied to;

 

• Secondary dwellings.
• Studio granny flats.
• ‘Fonzie’ flats (i.e. granny flats with a loft).

*Please note – This list is from the Blacktown City Council’s website and is subject to change. It is to be used as an example only. Your granny flat will be assessed against your Development Application (DA), to establish if your building is subject to Section 7.11 (formerly called Section 94) Contributions.  

 

Land Size Restrictions for a Granny Flat

 

You can be approved to build a secondary dwelling through the Blacktown City Council by either Complying Development (CDC) or a Development Application (DA).

 

Since 1 July 2020, the Blacktown City Council has only been taking DA’s through the NSW Planning Portal.

 

You can apply for a Development Application and Construction Certificate (CC) together, on the portal here. Just tick the applicable box on the Development Application Checklist, and you can get your DA/CC at the same time.

 

If you wish to apply for Complying Development, simply fill out a form which you can download here. More information on submitting your application for Complying Development can also be found on the portal.

 

Blacktown Council also have certifiers that are a close and convenient distance to your building site. The benefits of using the Council are on the portal, or you can read about the pros and cons of choosing Council over a private certifer.

 

To be approved for a granny flat, your application must meet the standards in;

 

• The State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP).
• The Blacktown Development Control Plan 2015.
• The Blacktown Engineering Guideline and Specification.
• The Blacktown Local Environmental Plan 2015 (LEP).

 

The LEP is used by the Council to help manage their options for planning in their local government regions. The zoning and permitted uses for the land lets the Council oversee for how the land is used and developed.

 

If you have any queries regarding the LEP, you can call the Planning Gateway team on (02) 9839 6000, or visit the Civic Centre at 62 Flushcombe Road, Blacktown, where you can also purchase a hard copy.

 

Blacktown City Council also recommends that you apply for a Section 10.7 (formerly known as Section 149) Zoning Certificate, and do extra research to determine if any development restrictions pertain to your property.

 

You can apply for this Certificate on the Council’s website. As well as advising you to any restrictions that that apply to your land, this Certificate will tell you the zoning for your property, which determines what it may be used for.

 

For more information, contact the Development and Design Directorate on (02) 9839 6000.

 

You can also check your property’s zoning online, using the maps tool.

 

This will give you details regarding the borders of the property, including its’;

 

• Allowable land-zone uses, and
• Flooding and bushfire specifications.

 

The land size restrictions are as per the SEPP  – your property must be a minimum of 450sqm.

 

Though, you are also confined to a floor space ratio, which I have listed by the size of your property below.

 

• 450sqm – 560sqm = The total size of all buildings on your land may not be greater than 290sqm.
• 560sqm – 600sqm = The total size of all buildings on your land may not be greater than 25% of the area of your property, with an added 150sqm.
• 600sqm – 740sqm = The total size of all buildings on your land may not be greater than 335sqm.
• 740sqm – 900sqm = The total size of all buildings on your land may not be greater than 25% of your block area, with an added 150sqm.
• 900sqm – 920sqm = The total size of all buildings on your land may not be greater than 380sqm.
• 920sqm – 1000sqm = The total size of all buildings on your land may not be greater than 25% of your property’s area, with an added 150sqm.
• 1000sqm or more = The total size of all buildings on your land may not be greater than 400sqm.

 

Does Your Granny Flat Need to Fit a Certain Design for the Suburb?

 

Simply put – yes. Refer to Clause 3.2 – Design Guidelines – in the Blacktown Development Control Plan 2015.

 

This Clause states that, when building your granny flat, you must consider whether it;

 

• Enhances the visual effect of the streetscape (that is, the relationship connecting buildings, the landscape, and open spaces on your street).
• Gives the tenants opportunities to minimise the appearance of, and noise made by, pedestrians and traffic, whilst complementing the visual appearance of the front of the secondary dwelling.

 

Meaning, the granny flat should be designed to suit both your block of land and ‘fit in’ with the surrounding region.

 

Your design may not be approved by Council if the basis is not considered of it is not considered good for your site. For example, it should;

 

• Be an appropriate size for your block of land.
• Be a good balance between your private needs for comfort and integrating with the community.
• Provide adequate Principal Private Open Space (PPOS), landscaping, and room between your neighbours.
• Add to the character of your surrounding environment.

 

A finished dwelling in Blacktown can be viewed at Granny Flat Approvals.

 

If you need further help understanding Councils’ regulations, you can contact them here.

 

Demographic of Blacktown and Surrounding Suburbs, & Who Would be Your Optimal Tenant?

 

In 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted a Census of the 336, 962 people living in Blacktown.

 

Of these, 32.6% of people were going to an educational establishment. 20.4% of those were in a tertiary or technical institution.

 

This number is only likely to increase, with the Blacktown CBD getting a university.

 

So, you can begin designing your granny flat now, for an upcoming market.

 

As the average rental prices in the area are fairly high, a bigger granny flat to be used as shared student housing is a smart investment.

 

For example, if your property has the space, a 3-bedroom granny flat can offer you a great rental income.

 

It is ideal, for this demographic, to have;

 

• The granny flat furnished. Many students do not own furniture. Try to include blinds, heating and cooling, and a washing machine.
• A different gateway/driveway. This way, they can enter and leave when they like, and will not bother anyone occupying the primary dwelling.
• Their own gas, electricity, and water flow meters. This allows you to break down the prices between the two dwellings, so you can provide split billing.

 

These additional features in your granny flat will interest students.

 

You can save money by not adding car parking. Though the Census showed that the average number of cars per household in Blacktown was 1.8, many students do not own cars, catching public transport instead.

 

Conclusion

 

As per the SEPP, in Blacktown your granny flat can be approved by either CDC or a DA.

 

You must meet the standards in the;

 

• Blacktown Development Control Plan 2015.
• Blacktown Engineering Guideline and Specification.
• Blacktown Local Environmental Plan 2015.

 

All fees can be seen in the Blacktown City Council’s Goods and Services Pricing which you can search for online.

 

You can contact Blacktown City Council on (02) 9869 6000, or visit their website.