Reference Data · New South Wales
Penrith DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
5 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Penrith Development Control Plan 2014, Part D2 Residential Development — 2.1 Single Dwellings. As at 2026-08-29.
NSW has no statewide dwelling setback or site-coverage standard. The LEP sets zone, height and FSR; the numbers that shape a build sit in each council's DCP — here, the 5 that Penrith publishes numerically. Anything its DCP assesses on merit rather than a fixed number is absent from this table: not a zero, and not a permission.
Penrith, City of — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 5.5 m | Greater of either 5.5m or the average of the setbacks of the adjoining properties (2.1.2 B.1.a). |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 4 m | — |
| Landscaped area | 50% | — |
Source: Penrith Development Control Plan 2014, Part D2 Residential Development — 2.1 Single Dwellings. Clauses: 2.1.2 Setbacks and Building Envelope; 2.1.4 Landscaped Area. Open the source DCP.
Scope: R2 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R2, Penrith’s low-density residential zone. Do not apply these figures to a dual occupancy, duplex, secondary dwelling or multi-dwelling housing development — those are assessed under different standards, which Feasibly has not codified.
What qualifies these Penrith controls?
- Rear setback varies by storeys, not frontage: 4m for a single-storey building/component; 6m for a two-storey building/component (2.1.2 B.1.e). rear_setback_m records the single-storey minimum (4m).
- Secondary street frontage on corner sites: 3m to external walls, 5.5m to garage entrances (2.1.2 B.1.b) — recorded as secondary_street_setback_m = 3.
- Building envelope for R2 Low Density Residential is a 45-degree height plane over the site measured from a specified height above natural ground level at the side boundaries (Figure D2.1) — a geometric envelope control, not a single numeric setback.
- Landscaped area minimum is zone-tiered (R1 40%, R2 50%, R3 40%, R4 35%); value recorded is R2 Low Density Residential = 50%. Excludes strips <2m wide and hard surfaces; may include up to 15m² of ground-floor verandah/deck/patio (2.1.4). Termed 'landscaped area', not deep-soil.
- No numeric site coverage or private open space control exists for single (detached) dwellings in Part D2 §2.1. Site Coverage (§2.3.2) and Private Open Space min 24m² (§2.3.4) apply to Secondary Dwellings only, so both are recorded as null for the standard dwelling house.
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Penrith DCP data?
These values were machine-extracted from the source DCP and have not been independently re-checked. Treat them as screening grade: good enough to compare councils and to know which questions to ask, not a substitute for reading the clause before you rely on it. This is a different and lower tier of confidence than our Victorian zone schedules, which are read and verified from the source planning scheme by a person. We do not present the two as equivalent.
A council's DCP can be amended at any time and this page reflects the document as at 2026-08-29. Where a control is absent above, the DCP either sets no number or assesses that parameter on merit.
This information is provided for research and preliminary screening only. It does not constitute professional planning, legal or architectural advice. Always verify with Penrith, City of before making decisions.
Penrith planning controls — common questions
Do these Penrith controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No. The figures on this page are Penrith’s dwelling-house controls. A dual occupancy, duplex, secondary dwelling or multi-dwelling housing development is assessed under different standards — Feasibly has not codified those, so do not apply the numbers above to one.
Which zone do these Penrith controls apply to?
R2 Low Density Residential — Penrith’s low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Penrith LEP actually contains. This page presents the low-density residential case; some DCP sections also cover other residential zones, and the source above names the zones it applies to.
What planning controls does Penrith, City of publish for dwellings?
Penrith, City of publishes 5 dwelling controls in Penrith Development Control Plan 2014, Part D2 Residential Development — 2.1 Single Dwellings: front setback, secondary street setback, side setback, rear setback, landscaped area. Each value and its clause reference is listed on this page, as at 2026-08-29.
Does NSW have a statewide dwelling setback standard?
No. The Local Environmental Plan sets zone, building height and floor space ratio, but the numbers that shape a dwelling — setbacks, site coverage, landscaped area and private open space — sit in each council’s Development Control Plan. That is why these figures are published per council rather than per state.
How reliable are these Penrith figures?
They are machine-extracted from Penrith Development Control Plan 2014, Part D2 Residential Development — 2.1 Single Dwellings and have not been independently re-checked, so treat them as screening grade — good enough to compare councils and to know which questions to ask, not a substitute for reading the clause. This is a lower confidence tier than our Victorian schedules, which a person reads and verifies from the source scheme.
Do these controls apply to every property in Penrith?
No. These are the council-wide published figures for low-density residential — dwelling houses. The zone, any overlays and the consent triggers that actually apply depend on the individual parcel, and a control absent from this page means the DCP either sets no number or assesses that parameter on merit — not that the requirement is zero.
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