The big Northern Beaches change this quarter is the draft Northern Beaches LEP and DCP, which would replace the separate Manly, Pittwater and Warringah plans. Exhibition ran from 20 July to 30 September 2026, and DAs must already consider the draft LEP. The Brookvale rezoning is with DPHI, and new affordable housing levies have passed Gateway.
Status snapshot (October 2026)
| Item | Status (checked 19 Oct 2026) | DA / design implication |
|---|---|---|
| Draft Northern Beaches LEP (PP-2024-1343) and draft Northern Beaches DCP | POST-EXHIBITION: exhibited 20 Jul to 30 Sep 2026; about 700 submissions under review; report to Council expected early 2027 | The draft LEP is now a matter for consideration in DAs. The draft DCP is not considered until it is adopted |
| Brookvale Precinct Planning Proposal (PP-2026-1700): about 2,900 homes, taller buildings on key sites | WITH DPHI: Council endorsed it on 21 Jul 2026, and under DPHI Gateway review since 30 Jul 2026 | Proposed heights and floor space are not law. Warringah LEP 2011 still applies |
| Affordable housing contributions, flat rate (PP-2025-2407): 3% in low and mid-rise areas, 2% elsewhere | WATCH: Gateway dated 15 Jul 2026 with conditions; exhibition date not yet announced | Not payable yet. Feasibility for town centre projects should allow for it |
| Manly Special Entertainment Precinct trial (PP-2026-1157) | WATCH: Gateway approval 25 Aug 2026; exhibition planned for late 2026 | Venue and mixed-use projects in central Manly should follow it |
| Middle Harbour Flood Study (Belrose, Davidson, Frenchs Forest, Forestville, Killarney Heights) | WATCH: adoption deferred on 18 Aug 2026 for more community engagement | Ask Council for current flood information before designing floor levels |
| Statewide Community Participation Plan | IN EFFECT from 1 Sep 2026, replacing Council’s own plan | Exhibition and notification rules now come from the State plan |
Primary sources: Your Say: Clearer planning rules for the Northern Beaches, the NSW Planning Portal record for PP-2024-1343, Council’s planning proposals page and Council’s minutes of 21 July 2026.
What is the draft Northern Beaches LEP and DCP?
Since amalgamation in 2016, Council has used the plans of three former councils: Manly LEP 2013, Pittwater LEP 2014, Warringah LEP 2011 and Warringah LEP 2000 (which still covers the “deferred lands” at Oxford Falls Valley and Belrose North), plus four DCPs. The draft merges them into one LEP and one DCP, turning 56 zones and locality statements into 24 standard zones.
DPHI’s Gateway determination of 14 October 2025 removed several of Council’s original ideas, including a two-year sunset clause for the deferred lands, a 30 m height limit at Warringah Mall and LGA-wide scenic protection. It also required a note that the State’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing provisions prevail where inconsistent. DPHI cleared the revised package for exhibition on 25 May 2026.
Does the draft LEP affect a DA I lodge now?
Yes, to a degree. Council says that since exhibition began on 20 July 2026, the draft LEP “must also be considered in DA assessments” alongside the current Manly, Pittwater or Warringah controls. The weight it carries depends on the proposal and how advanced the draft is. The draft DCP is not considered until Council adopts it. When the new plans commence, which Council expects in mid-2027, savings provisions will cover DAs lodged but not yet determined.
In practice, your Statement of Environmental Effects should address the draft LEP wherever it changes the outcome for your site, such as a new FSR limit, zone or lot size. Our guide to Statements of Environmental Effects covers how to structure that discussion.
Current controls vs the draft: what changes for homes?
These exhibited proposals may change after submissions, and none is law yet.
| Topic | Draft Northern Beaches LEP / DCP (as exhibited) |
|---|---|
| Dual occupancy | Permitted in all R2 zones, with a minimum lot size of 800 m² (attached) or 900 m² (detached) |
| Floor space ratio for houses | A new maximum FSR for R2 and C4 land on a sliding scale from 0.23:1 to 0.65:1, based on lot size and location. At present, only Manly LEP applies an FSR to this land |
| Granny flats | Rules standardised across the LGA, with up to 75 m² allowed when attached to the main house |
| Setbacks (DCP) | Standard setbacks of 6.5 m front, 1.2 to 1.5 m side and 6.5 to 8 m rear, plus a side boundary building envelope. Some areas keep local variations |
| Earthworks (DCP) | Cut and fill limited to 1 m above or below natural ground level, except on steeper sites and for pools and basements |
| Trees and landscaping (DCP) | Minimum tree planting and deep soil requirements. For example, a house on a site over 675 m² would generally need four trees instead of three |
| Energy (DCP) | All new residential development to be all-electric, with solar PV. EV charging infrastructure for all new development |
| Apartments | Liveable Housing Design Guidelines Silver Level, 25% adaptable dwellings, and a required mix of apartment sizes, including 1- and 3-bedroom units |
| Housing Diversity Areas | Boarding houses and hostels allowed on sites of 1,000 m² or more within 400 m walking distance of the Avalon, Newport, North Narrabeen, Freshwater and Belrose local centres |
If you are weighing up a duplex, see our guide on dual occupancy vs duplex. For the all-electric requirement, our all-electric homes guide explains the design side.
Centres, heights and employment land
- Local centres: heights in many centres would rise from 8.5 m to 9.5 m, or from 11 m to 12.5 m.
- Brookvale industrial area: the height limit would rise from 11 m to 18 m.
- Frenchs Forest Business Park: a new 11 m limit would apply, with up to 21 m allowed for employment-generating development.
- Active street frontages: these would extend from Balgowlah, Manly and Seaforth to centres including Avalon Beach, Newport, Narrabeen, Collaroy, The Strand at Dee Why, Freshwater, Forestville and Manly Vale.
- Design excellence and parking: design excellence would apply in the strategic centres, at Warringah Mall and in larger centres, and maximum (not minimum) parking rates would apply in Brookvale, Dee Why, Frenchs Forest, Manly and Mona Vale.
Environment, hazards and heritage
The draft LEP adds or updates clauses on bushland and biodiversity, waterways and riparian land, geotechnical hazards, coastline hazards and landscaped area. It also adds a new urban heat clause. A Pittwater clause that allows extra height on flood-prone land and on land steeper than 30% would apply across the whole LGA. Sloping sites will need early geotechnical input.
On heritage, the draft lists Parkhill Cottage (Building 20) and its stables at the former Manly Hospital site, removes four items that no longer exist, and introduces contributory, neutral and non-contributory ratings for buildings in the Manly Town Centre, Pittwater Road and Florida Road conservation areas. The draft DCP also adds local character statements for 37 localities.
Deferred lands and conservation zones
The deferred lands at Oxford Falls Valley and Belrose North would move into standard RU4, C3, R5, R2, RE1 and SP2 zones. In its webinar answers, Council confirmed that the 20 ha minimum lot size carries over, that granny flats are proposed to be prohibited in the RU4 zone, and that a 2 ha C3 lot would face a 90% landscaped area requirement (or a 1,000 m² site coverage cap). Foreshore land at Clontarf, Balgowlah Heights and Seaforth would move from C3 to C4. Council has published a 55-page property list of proposed rezonings.
When will it commence?
Council expects to report in early 2027 and commence in mid-2027, once the LEP is made and published on the NSW legislation website. The original Gateway set 30 October 2026 as the completion date, and we could not confirm an extension as at 19 October 2026. Treat mid-2027 as Council’s estimate, not a fixed date.
Brookvale Precinct Planning Proposal: with DPHI
On 21 July 2026, Council voted 9 to 5 to send the Brookvale Precinct Planning Proposal to DPHI for a Gateway determination. It would amend Warringah LEP 2011 (or be folded into the new LEP, depending on timing). Council’s report describes:
- about 2,900 new dwellings by 2041, up from 1,350 in the 2023 Structure Plan, including 850 on the Warringah Mall site
- residential buildings of 9 to 25 storeys (previously 8 to 15), with the extra height and floor space available only where key sites deliver public benefits
- industrial heights of up to 24 m (18 m in transition areas), a minimum non-residential floor space on key sites, and a design excellence clause for development over 12 m or three storeys
- about 49,500 m² of new employment floor space, three new parks and two community facilities
Council raised the affordable housing contribution above the officers’ recommendation, to 5% outside the Warringah Mall site and 10% on it. A precinct DCP and a new contributions plan will follow; the report notes the current 1% section 7.12 levy may need to rise to 3.5 to 4%. Separately, a State Significant Development for the Warringah Mall site (SSD-83464714) is at the “Prepare EIS” stage, with the Planning Portal describing a concept for 1,500 dwellings.
New affordable housing levies: Gateway issued, exhibition pending
Council’s flat-rate affordable housing proposal (PP-2025-2407) would require a contribution of 3% of floor area for most residential development within the nine low and mid-rise housing centres, and 2% for apartments, shop-top housing and multi-dwelling housing elsewhere in the LGA. DPHI’s Gateway, dated 15 July 2026, lets it proceed, but on conditions. These include introducing both rates gradually, from a lower starting rate, rather than with a two-year delay, and retesting whether the Frenchs Forest precinct can keep its current 10% rate instead of the proposed 3%. The LEP amendments are due by 1 July 2027. If you are testing feasibility for a town centre site, model the levy as a possibility rather than a certainty.
Manly Special Entertainment Precinct trial
DPHI gave Gateway approval on 25 August 2026 for a planning proposal that would amend Manly LEP 2013 and map a Special Entertainment Precinct in central Manly. Council plans to exhibit it in late 2026 and to decide on an 18-month trial in early 2027. The package includes a Manly DCP 2013 amendment so that new buildings and venues are designed to reduce noise impacts. Projects near the precinct may need acoustic input.
Middle Harbour Flood Study: adoption deferred
On 18 August 2026, Council deferred adopting the Middle Harbour Flood Study to allow more community engagement. The study updates overland flow mapping for parts of Belrose, Davidson, Frenchs Forest, Forestville and Killarney Heights. Until it is adopted, ask Council what flood information applies to your lot. Our explainer on flood planning levels covers floor levels and CDC limits.
Process changes: State consultation rules and a Council system upgrade
From 1 September 2026, the statewide Community Participation Plan replaced every council’s own plan, including Northern Beaches’. DAs lodged before that date keep the earlier notification rules. Council has also flagged a technology upgrade: DAs can still be lodged through the Planning Portal, but registration and assessment will be limited from October to December. Many online services will be unavailable from 5pm on 13 November to 30 November, and some Planning Panel matters may slip to 2027. If you need a planning certificate for a settlement, apply outside that window if you can.
Practical next steps
- Check your property in Council’s interactive map and in the rezoning list. Then address the draft LEP in your SEE wherever it changes the outcome.
- For dual occupancies, confirm the lot size against both the current controls and the proposed 800 m² / 900 m² minimums.
- If your design relies on a clause 4.6 variation, test it against the draft standards as well.
Related giantA resources
- All services
- Architectural services (DA / CDC / Class 2)
- Granny flat design
- Heritage conservation design
- Penrith planning updates October 2026
- Blacktown planning updates October 2026
FAQs
Is the new Northern Beaches LEP in force?
No. As at 19 October 2026, exhibition has closed and Council is reviewing about 700 submissions. Council expects to report in early 2027 and commence the plans in mid-2027, after DPHI makes the LEP. Until then, the Manly, Pittwater and Warringah LEPs and DCPs still apply, with the draft LEP as a consideration.
Can I build a dual occupancy on my R2 block?
On Warringah LEP 2011 R2 land, Council says dual occupancies have applied only to sites over 800 m² since 31 October 2025. The draft LEP proposes 800 m² for attached and 900 m² for detached dual occupancies across all R2 zones. Inside the low and mid-rise housing areas, the State rules prevail where they are inconsistent.
Will the Brookvale rezoning allow 25-storey buildings?
Not yet. It is a planning proposal waiting for a DPHI Gateway determination. Council’s timetable targets exhibition in March 2027 and a finalisation report in mid-2027. The tallest heights would only be available on key sites that deliver public benefits.
Do the new affordable housing contributions apply to my DA?
Not yet. The flat-rate proposal has a Gateway determination but has not been exhibited or made. It is expected to exclude dwelling houses and secondary dwellings, and DPHI has asked Council to phase the rates in.
Next step: Request a Northern Beaches DA design review with giantA. We provide architectural services and approvals documentation for homes and small developments across Greater Sydney.