Hornsby Planning Updates November 2026: Cherrybrook Rezoning in Effect, Industrial Height and FSR Lift Heads to Finalisation and Town Centre Entertainment Precinct on Exhibition

Hornsby is changing at two speeds. Since 7 August 2026, the state's Cherrybrook rezoning has allowed DAs for up to about 10,000 homes near the metro. Council's industrial height and floor space changes are now with the Department for finalisation. A trial late-night entertainment precinct for Hornsby Town Centre is on exhibition until 25 November 2026.

This update covers Hornsby Shire Council's general meetings on 12 August, 9 September and 14 October 2026, the agenda for 11 November 2026 and the NSW Planning Portal record for each proposal. It explains what these changes mean for a development application (DA) in Cherrybrook, Hornsby, Pennant Hills, Asquith, Thornleigh, Mount Kuring-gai, Dural, Galston or Glenorie.

Status snapshot (November 2026)

Primary sources: Hornsby Shire Council general meeting papers and minutes for 12 August 2026 (minutes), 9 September 2026 (minutes), 14 October 2026 minutes and the 11 November 2026 agenda. NSW Planning Portal records for Employment Lands, the Special Entertainment Precinct and Glenorie Village. The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) Cherrybrook Precinct page.

Cherrybrook Precinct: what the rezoning allows now

DPHI finalised the Cherrybrook Precinct rezoning on 7 August 2026. The precinct sits around Cherrybrook Metro Station and is split between Hornsby and The Hills, so both the Hornsby LEP 2013 and The Hills LEP 2019 were amended. The new controls are in effect and DAs can be lodged now. A DA already lodged is assessed under the controls that applied when it was lodged.

The final plan allows about 10,000 homes, up from 9,350 in the version exhibited from 7 November to 5 December 2025. The Department added density and height on sites closest to the station and on the sites with the lowest densities. Buildings can reach up to 27 storeys in the town centre and step down towards the edge of the precinct. The plan also includes 4.6 hectares of new open space across five local parks, a library and community facility of at least 3,000 m², protection of Blue Gum High Forest within public open space, and provision for a new primary school beyond 2041.

Affordable housing contributions

Affordable rental housing contributions are 5% across the precinct and 10% in the town centre. DPHI says this could deliver up to about 565 affordable homes. The contribution may apply to new residential development such as apartment buildings or terraces that adds at least 200 m² of floor space. It is not proposed to apply to dwelling houses or dual occupancies. Include it in your feasibility work from day one.

Key sites and community title

The maximum height and density depend on land being consolidated into defined "key sites". Each key site has one floor space ratio, so owners share the yield fairly even where the master plan puts the tallest building on one part of it. Where a property is in a community title scheme, every owner in the scheme must agree before the land can be amalgamated. Before you buy or design, check the key site map, the land reservation acquisition map and whether a community title scheme applies. Section 7.12 contributions plans for both councils are still being finalised.

What will the Employment Lands changes mean for industrial sites?

On 12 August 2026, Council unanimously endorsed the Employment Lands planning proposal and the matching Hornsby DCP Part 5 Industrial amendments, and asked to finalise the LEP changes. The proposal puts the short-term recommendations of Council's Employment Lands Study into effect. It was exhibited from 13 April to 17 May 2026 and drew 22 submissions, including four from public authorities. The Planning Portal shows it went back to the Department for assessment and LEP drafting on 26 August 2026. Until the amending LEP is made, the current controls still apply.

The six Hornsby LEP 2013 changes are:

• Active street frontages required for new development in local centres.
• Light industries in larger E1 Local Centres, such as artisan food and drink and creative industries. After exhibition, Council removed data centres from this permissibility.
• Serviced apartments no longer count as non-residential floor space, which protects floor space for jobs.
• Food and drink premises in E4 General Industrial zones capped at 150 m².
• Height up to 20 m in parts of the Mount Kuring-gai, Asquith, Thornleigh and Dural industrial precincts. Existing heights stay in a buffer next to residential land.
• Dural Industrial Precinct FSR raised from 0.7:1 to 1:1, in line with other industrial precincts in the Shire.

The DCP changes are designed to let industrial buildings actually use the extra height and floor space:

• The maximum site coverage control goes for Mount Kuring-gai and Dural.
• The table converting height to storeys is removed, which suits high-bay warehouses.
• The rear setback in the Dural Service Centre drops from 15 m to 5 m.
• Landscaping controls are updated.

Bushland setbacks and recessive colour requirements continue to apply. Many of these precincts are bushfire prone, so future DAs still need to address Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019. Our bushfire assessment guide explains what that involves.

How would the Hornsby Town Centre Special Entertainment Precinct work?

A Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) lets Council manage trading hours and entertainment sound in a defined area through a Precinct Management Plan, under the NSW Government's vibrancy reforms. Hornsby's proposal covers the town centre within the Hornsby Transport Oriented Development (TOD) footprint. DPHI approved the Gateway on 29 September 2026. The planning proposal, draft Precinct Management Plan and acoustic advice are on exhibition from 26 October to 25 November 2026.

The draft plan proposes these maximum trading hours, which would apply without a DA:

Thursday counts as a weekend night, and weekend hours also apply on the eve of public holidays. Businesses that already have consent for longer hours keep it. Liquor licence hours are still set by Liquor & Gaming NSW.

Fixed decibel limits would replace the old subjective noise tests across four sound category areas. Hornsby has deliberately set its categories one step quieter than the state guidelines, so its loudest area matches category 3 in the guidelines. For designers, the main change is that new buildings in the precinct must be designed to manage entertainment sound. Expect acoustic treatment of facades, glazing and ventilation for apartments near the Mall and Jersey Street. If supported, the SEP would run as a 12-month trial from early 2027, with a review at the end. Council is holding an information stall at Hornsby Library on Thursday 19 November 2026, from 4 pm to 6:30 pm.

Glenorie Village: smaller rural lots and a village zone

The Glenorie Village planning proposal makes ten changes to the Hornsby LEP to deliver Council's Glenorie Village Place Plan. Gateway was issued on 20 July 2026 and the proposal was exhibited from 31 August to 27 September 2026. Council is now considering the submissions. The proposal includes:

• Smaller minimum lot sizes, from 20,000 m² down to 4,000 or 5,000 m², on land around the village.
• Rezoning some RU4 land to C4 Environmental Living, with attached dual occupancy and secondary dwellings as additional permitted uses.
• Rezoning the corner of Cairnes Road and Old Northern Road from RU4 to RU5 Village, with a floor space ratio and strata subdivision.
• A road reservation linking Tekapo Road and Cairnes Road.

Matching amendments to DCP Parts 2 (Rural), 6 (Subdivision) and 8 add rural village controls and shop-top housing controls for the RU5 zone. Nothing is in effect yet. Landholders should wait for the post-exhibition report before committing to subdivision design. Because of bushfire, flooding, traffic evacuation and on-site wastewater, the technical studies will matter as much as the lot size.

Seniors housing in the rural area: why Galston is an exception

Since 29 July 2020, the state seniors housing provisions have not applied in Greater Sydney's Metropolitan Rural Areas, including RU4 land. That means seniors housing is generally prohibited in Hornsby's rural zones. Council's report records that close to 19% of the State's site compatibility certificate applications between 2009 and 2018 were made in Hornsby and The Hills.

On 9 September 2026, Council voted 8–2 to send an owner-initiated proposal for 328A Galston Road to DPHI for a Gateway determination. The proposal would add seniors housing as an additional permitted use on the 2,212.9 m² site. Preliminary exhibition drew 22 submissions, 20 of them objections. The proposal was amended so that any seniors housing on the site must be integrated with the adjoining seniors development at 330–334 Galston Road, sharing internal roads, sewer and flood management. Do not read it as a shift in policy. It is a narrow, site-specific exception tied to an existing facility.

Pennant Hills: more affordable homes under an amended VPA

Also on 9 September 2026, Council endorsed a 28-day exhibition of a deed of variation to the voluntary planning agreement (VPA) for 7 City View Road, Pennant Hills. The variation would raise the number of affordable dwellings dedicated in perpetuity from four to seven. The site has had an LEP additional permitted use since March 2024. It is also on a State Significant Development pathway after the Housing Delivery Authority recommended it in August 2025, which allows for more dwellings, lower-floor commercial space and key worker housing. The case shows how a planning agreement can be renegotiated when a project moves to a larger state-assessed scheme.

Trees: state penalties rise, Hornsby DCP changes flagged for 2027

On 20 October 2026, the NSW Government announced tougher rules on illegal tree clearing:

• On-the-spot fines rise from $3,000 to $6,000 for individuals and from $6,000 to $18,000 for businesses.
• Councils can order clearing to stop and require replanting.
• Removing dead or dying trees will need a permit.
• Separate legislation would allow court-imposed civil penalties of up to $500,000 for individuals and $2.5 million for corporations.

Details are on the Planning Portal.

Locally, a tree management report goes to Council on 11 November 2026. It proposes:

• A DCP housekeeping update in 2027 that adds all Celtis and Olea species, bamboo and Bird of Paradise to the exempt species list.
• Exemptions for Camphor Laurel, Liquidambar and Leyland Cypress limited to trees under 10 m. Taller specimens would need a permit.
• A new internal review process for tree permit decisions, with a review fee.

The report puts Hornsby's canopy cover at around 42.7%, compared with 21.9% across Greater Sydney. In practice, an arborist report and a tree-led site layout remain essential for any Hornsby DA.

Other items to watch

• Council-led advertising. A separate planning proposal (PP-2026-1351) to make Council-led bus shelter and freestanding advertising exempt development received Gateway approval on 21 July 2026 and is awaiting exhibition.
• Hawkesbury-Nepean coastal program. The Dyarubbin Coastal Management Program, shared by six councils, goes to Council for adoption on 11 November 2026. It sets out actions for the tidal river over ten years and matters for river settlements.
• Hornsby TOD. The state's Hornsby TOD rezoning has been in effect since 27 November 2024, with affordable housing contributions of 3% to 10%. The SEP proposal builds on it.

Practical next steps

1. Confirm which controls apply. Check whether your lot is in the Cherrybrook Precinct, the Hornsby TOD area, an E4 industrial precinct or a rural zone, and check bushfire, flood and biodiversity mapping.
2. For Cherrybrook, confirm whether your land is part of a key site, whether a community title scheme applies, and how much affordable housing contribution to budget for.
3. For industrial sites, plan with the 20 m height and Dural 1:1 FSR in mind, but lodge under the current controls until the LEP amendment is made. Use a clause 4.6 variation only where you can justify it.
4. Near Hornsby Mall or Jersey Street, brief your acoustic consultant early and read the draft Precinct Management Plan before 25 November 2026.
5. Write a strong Statement of Environmental Effects. Our SEE guide shows how to deal with each DCP part and reduce requests for more information.

Related giantA resources

• Architectural services and all giantA services
• Ku-ring-gai planning updates, November 2026
• Dual occupancy vs duplex in NSW
• Bushfire assessment reports for NSW DAs

FAQs

Can I lodge a DA under the new Cherrybrook controls now?

Yes. The rezoning was finalised on 7 August 2026 and the amended Hornsby LEP 2013 controls are in effect. To reach the incentive height and floor space, your land generally needs to form part of a consolidated key site, and an affordable housing contribution may apply.

Is the 20 m industrial height limit in force?

Not yet. Council endorsed the change on 12 August 2026, and the proposal has been with the Department for LEP drafting since 26 August 2026. The current heights apply until the amending LEP is made. The matching DCP Part 5 changes start on the same day.

Will my café in Hornsby Town Centre need a DA to open later?

Under the draft Precinct Management Plan, businesses in the SEP could trade to the hours it sets without a new DA, once the SEP is finalised. Liquor licence hours are a separate approval through Liquor & Gaming NSW. The proposal is on exhibition until 25 November 2026.

Can I build seniors housing on my rural land in Hornsby?

Generally, no. The state seniors housing provisions have not applied in Metropolitan Rural Areas since July 2020. The 328A Galston Road proposal is a site-specific exception linked to an adjoining facility, and it is still awaiting a Gateway determination.

Next step: Request a Hornsby DA design review with giantA. We provide architectural services and approvals documentation for homes and small developments across Greater Sydney.