planning · Cumberland Council
Cumberland panel backs bigger Merrylands West apartment project
Cumberland Local Planning Panel approved an amended 9 Sherwood Road proposal in Merrylands West, lifting the total to 117 apartments and including affordable housing.
Cumberland Local Planning Panel has approved an amended apartment project at 9 Sherwood Road, Merrylands West, lifting the number of dwellings from 90 to 117 and backing three Clause 4.6 variation requests.
The panel met on 13 May 2026 and supported departures from the building height, landscaping and floor-to-ceiling height standards under State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021. It then approved DA 2025/0688 for additions to the existing development.
The proposal includes one extra storey each on Buildings A and B and two extra storeys on Building C. It also reconfigures the ground-floor retail tenancies, basement and at-grade parking, and reduces the number of car spaces by four.
Affordable housing is included in the amended scheme.
In its reasons for approval, the panel said the applicant had adequately addressed the matters required under Clause 4.6 and had shown compliance with the standards would be unreasonable and unnecessary in the circumstances. It also found there were sufficient environmental planning grounds to justify the variations.
The panel noted a condition from the previous consent will carry into the new approval. If the development is likely to disturb or impact telecommunications infrastructure, written confirmation from the service provider must be submitted to the Principal Certifying Authority before a construction certificate is issued or any works begin, whichever comes first.
The Merrylands West approval sat alongside another housing project at 70 Burnett Street, Merrylands, where the panel backed a three-storey boarding house with 20 rooms, communal area and at-grade parking.
The same meeting also refused two applications. One was a Westmead proposal at 62 Bridge Road, which the panel rejected because it was not satisfied adequate stormwater drainage arrangements had been provided under Clause 6.4 of the Cumberland LEP 2021, including no evidence that the required easement could be obtained.
The other refusal was a five-storey mixed-use proposal at 3-5 Gilba Road, Pendle Hill, which would have included a commercial unit, childcare centre with 34 places and 74 co-living units over basement parking. The panel refused it for the reasons in Council’s assessment report.
Submitters on the Merrylands West application are to be notified of the determination.
Reference minutes
Based on the Cumberland Local Planning Panel meeting minutes for 13 May 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The meeting was held on 13 May 2026 by the Cumberland Local Planning Panel.
- 9 Sherwood Road, Merrylands West, was approved as an amended development application, DA 2025/0688.
- The proposal lifts the total number of apartments from 90 to 117, including affordable housing apartments.
- The panel supported Clause 4.6 variations for building height, landscaping and floor-to-ceiling height.
- The plan adds one storey to Buildings A and B and two storeys to Building C.
- The panel also approved a condition requiring telecommunications provider confirmation if the works disturb infrastructure.
- The same meeting refused a Westmead application over stormwater drainage and easement evidence, and refused a five-storey mixed-use proposal at 3-5 Gilba Road, Pendle Hill.
Why it matters
- The approval increases the scale of a Merrylands West housing project and adds affordable dwellings to a major local development site.