Drafting services for Randwick Council - is CDC always the better choice for a granny flat development?

Have you ever need help with design drawings in Sydney, particularly,doing a granny flat?

I came across to a lot of potential clients looking to build a granny flat at the back of their properties and always seem to seek CDC over DA. "It's faster" they said, "I hate dealing with the council" are some of the comments we get. Now because everybody is brainwashed with the idea that GRANNY FLAT = CDC, let us unfold the truth here.

Is CDC always the best thing for granny flat, located in Randwick Council?

Yes is the recommended answers. Under the current Randwick Council DCP, the rules of setbacks, building heights and site coverages can be quite harsh for a granny flat development. For instance: 

Rear setback seems to take up a lot of space under the Randwick DCP regulations:

Whilst with the CDC, it has a relatively flexible requirements:

Also, the Randwick DCP also requires private open space for both occupancies, therefore more "landscape" spaces are require; this could potentially means less building spaces.

For instance:

Given that Randwick Council state: "Secondary dwellings are made permissible by State Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable Rental Housing) 2009 in all residential zones. The controls in this DCP supplement the provisions of the SEPP. Where there is any inconsistency between the provisions of this DCP and the SEPP, the SEPP shall prevail to the extent of that inconsistency."
There seems to be no necessary need to apply a granny flat development through the council, where their laws are stricter and will be overwrited by the SEPP anyway. Therefore, it is recommended that CDC is the path to take if you are planning to do granny flat development under Randwick City Council.

Why should I go with CDC not DA/CC?

It is always about comparison, given that the Randwick DCP is much stricter than the SEPP, it is recommended to use CDC.

When should I go with DA/CC instead of CDC?

If you property is located under Randwick council, it is highly recommended to use CDC instead due to a better flexibility compared to the council's regulation.

Are they priced similar?

Yes, CDC and DA/CC charges similar, at the end of the day, there is only very little difference in cost.

Which one takes longer?

DA takes longer than CDC, given that the Randwick DCP is much stricter than the SEPP, it is recommended to use CDC.

*Note, every council is different and that you should always compare the pros and cons of each council against the SEPP in order to choose what works for you best!

*all comments made are pure personal recommendations based on our experience. Each project will need to be further investigate to ensure the correct procedure is to be selected, Go Design Solutions take no responsbilities for incorrect decisions/approvals.