DCP (Development Control Plan)
What a DCP is in NSW planning: the council design guide that sits below the LEP, covering setbacks, landscaping, solar access, and car parking.
Ask Chalkline about this →A DCP (Development Control Plan) is a council-made planning document that provides detailed design and siting guidance for development within a local government area. DCPs sit below Local Environmental Plans (LEPs) in the NSW planning hierarchy: they cannot override an LEP, but they fill in the design detail the LEP doesn’t cover, including boundary setbacks, landscaping ratios, solar access, privacy screening, car parking rates, and building materials.
For a residential builder, the DCP is where most of the practical design constraints live. A DA must demonstrate consistency with the relevant DCP controls. Unlike LEP development standards (FSR, height of buildings), DCP controls are guidelines rather than absolute numerical limits, so a council may accept non-compliance with a DCP provision if the applicant can justify the departure on merit.
DCPs are made under Part 3 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW). Pull the relevant DCP from your council’s website alongside the LEP before committing to a design.
Also known as: Development Control Plan.
Category: Approvals.
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Last updated: 2026-05-08. Verified: 2026-05-08. Quarterly review for currency.