FAQs

Council is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of its Development Control Plan (DCP) which was adopted in 2010. As part of this review, we engaged specialist transport engineering consultants to review the existing Parking and Access DCP chapter and recommend changes where necessary. These recommendations are provided in the updated DCP chapter.

Council sets minimum parking requirements based on land use. Under the proposed DCP chapter, modest changes have been proposed to increase or reduce minimum parking requirements to selected land uses. 

Often these proposals reflect a change in the method to determine how many parking spaces are required. For instance, Council currently requires the provision of one car parking space per 25m² gross floor area for medical centres. Under these proposed changes, new medical centres will need to provide one space for each practitioner, one space for each administration employee and two spaces per practitioner for visitors. 

Such a development would also be required to provide a dedicated space for an ambulance as well as motorcycle and bicycle parking in larger developments.

Larger trip-generating developments will be required to submit to Council a traffic impact assessment authored by a qualified person to determine the parking provisions required to adequately service the development.

No. If Council adopts the proposed changes, they will only apply to new developments or where a change of use is proposed (for instance, if a proponent lodges an application to Council to refit a food takeaway outlet as a veterinary clinic).

Council engaged specialist transport engineers to analyse the current parking rates in the Cessnock local government area and determine whether changes to parking rates were required. In undertaking this process, the requirements of comparative local government areas were analysed, as were guidelines produced by NSW Government agencies. Some changing to car parking rates were proposed in addition to standards for the provision of motorcycle and bicycle parking, end of trip facilities and servicing requirements (areas for loading and unloading of goods).

The changes that are proposed are based on the needs of the community and are minimum parking requirements. A development proponent can construct more parking spaces if they desire. The parking requirements Council are proposing reflect a minimum number of spaces required to service the development without adversely affecting the surrounding area.

As part of the proposed new DCP chapter, minimum requirements are introduced for the provision of motorcycle and bicycle parking, end of trip facilities and servicing areas (areas for the loading and unloading of goods).

Controls are also introduced for other matters including pedestrian safety, electrical infrastructure, landscaping and site access.