Housing & planning · Inner West Council
Small-car parking bid fails as Inner West adopts development rules for 2027
The new DCP will apply from 1 January, while councillors reject proposed changes to parking, bicycle spaces and boarding-house and co-living controls.
Reporting from draft minutes. Recorded wording may change when confirmed. How this article was prepared
Inner West Council has adopted a new development rulebook that will apply from 1 January 2027, but rejected a proposal to allow one small-car space for some dwelling houses and a separate package of bicycle-parking, boarding-house and co-living changes, according to the unconfirmed minutes of the 10 November meeting.
Council adopted the Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 and Solar Panels Policy with updates to the DCP, including a revised control for development at the Seaview Street car park. The wording calls for the site to be developed as an integrated place that contributes to high-quality public spaces and supports active ground-floor uses along streets, laneways and a new public plaza.
The DCP also includes revised adaptable-dwelling requirements. Developments with four to 11 dwellings must provide one adaptable dwelling, rising to two for developments of 12 to 21 dwellings, three for 22 to 29 dwellings and 20 per cent of dwellings in developments of 30 or more.
Councillor Victor Macri’s proposed amendment would have allowed Council to consider one small-car parking space for a dwelling house where a compliant standard-sized space could not reasonably be provided, provided safe access, manoeuvring and satisfactory streetscape outcomes were demonstrated. The minutes record the amendment as lost, with Cr Macri voting for it and the other listed councillors voting against.
A second lost amendment proposed describing bicycle-parking rates as minimums and adding controls for boarding houses and co-living housing. Those controls covered matters including clearance around built-in beds, bathroom ventilation, room sizes, natural light and ventilation, and en-suite bathrooms for double-occupancy rooms.
The adopted resolution gives the Director Planning authority to make editorial, formatting and technical changes to the DCP and Solar Panels Policy where required. Council also resolved to hold an industry workshop shortly after commencement, provide an online community education session on the DCP and eDCP, update its post-development-application survey and receive a review report 12 months after commencement. That report is to cover the workshop, community education session, survey results, progress on the eDCP mapping roadmap and any recommended amendments.
What deserves a closer look
The adopted DCP includes implementation and review measures, while the minutes do not give reasons for the unsuccessful amendments.
The source records the DCP vote and amendment outcomes as part of unconfirmed minutes, so the article attributes those outcomes to the public record rather than describing independent verification.
The supplied record does not establish that the notice of decision has been published or that the implementation activities have been completed.
Questions for follow-up reporting
Will the Director Planning use the delegated authority to make editorial, formatting or technical modifications, and if so, which?
What feedback will be received through the industry workshop, community education session and post-development-application survey?
Will the 12-month review recommend amendments to the DCP, and if so, which controls will it address?
What happens next
Under the adopted resolution, Council is to publish the notice of decision specifying that the DCP comes into effect on 1 January 2027.
Council is to hold the industry workshop shortly after commencement.
Council is to hold the online community education session on the DCP and eDCP.
Council is to update the post-development-application survey.
Council is to receive a report 12 months after commencement on implementation and review.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The adoption text specifies the draft Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 and Solar Panels Policy, with an updated Seaview Street car park control concerning an integrated place, public spaces and active ground-floor uses.
Adopt the draft Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 Attachment 1 and Solar Panels Policy in Attachment 2 with the following updates: a) Update section 4.9 - O22 "To ensure development on the Seaview Street car park is developed as an integrated place and contributes to high-quality public spaces and supports active ground floor uses to streets, laneways and a new public plaza.";
Item 1, primary motion, clause 1(a)
Open original minutes ↗The amended table requires one adaptable dwelling in developments of 4–11 dwellings, two in developments of 12–21, three in developments of 22–29 and 20 per cent of total dwellings in developments of 30 or more. The text calls for publication of a notice of decision on Council's website specifying that the Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 comes into effect on 1 January 2027.
and b) Amend Table 2.17.1 as follows: Total dwellings in a development Adaptable dwellings required 4-11 1 12-21 2 22-29 3 30 or more 20% of total dwellings 2. In accordance with Clause 14 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021, publish a notice of decision related to the Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 on Council's website and as per clause 14(4)(b) specify the Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 comes into effect from 1 January 2027.
Item 1, primary motion, clause 1(b)
Open original minutes ↗The text calls for delegating authority to the Director Planning to make editorial, formatting and technical modifications to the Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 and Solar Panels Policy where required.
3. Delegate authority to the Director Planning to make editorial, formatting and technical modifications to the Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 and the Solar Panels Policy where required.
Item 1, primary motion, clause 3
Open original minutes ↗The implementation clauses call for an industry workshop shortly after commencement, an online community education session on the DCP and eDCP, an updated post-DA survey and an implementation and review report 12 months after commencement. The report is to cover the workshop, session, survey results, progress on the eDCP mapping roadmap and any recommended amendments.
4. Hold a workshop with the industry professionals who helped shape the DCP, including the local architects and planners who attended previous workshops. This workshop will walk through how the DCP will work in practice and be held shortly after commencement. 5. Hold an online community education session on how to use the DCP and the eDCP. Council Meeting 10 November 2026 16 6. Update the post-DA survey, sent to applicants after determination, seeking feedback on their experience of using the new DCP. 7. Receives a report back to Council 12 months after commencement on the implementation and review of the DCP. The report will cover the industry workshop, the community education session, the post-DA survey results, progress on the eDCP mapping roadmap and any recommended amendments to the DCP.
Item 1, primary motion, clauses 4–7
Open original minutes ↗The primary motion is recorded as carried, with Cr Macri voting against.
Motion Carried For Motion: Crs Antoniou, Atkins, Barlow, Blake, Byrne, Carlisle, Clay, D'Arienzo, Fergusson, Howard, Scott, Smith and Tastan Against Motion: Cr Macri The amendment below was voted on prior to the Primary Motion and was lost.
Item 1, primary-motion result
Open original minutes ↗The Macri/Atkins amendment proposed allowing Council to consider one small-car space for a dwelling house where a compliant standard-sized space could not reasonably be provided and safe access, manoeuvring and satisfactory streetscape outcomes were demonstrated. It is recorded as lost, with Cr Macri for and the other listed councillors against.
Amendment (Macri/Atkins) 1. That the Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 be amended to allow Council, in relation to a dwelling house, to consider one small-car parking space where a compliant standard-sized space cannot reasonably be provided and where safe access, manoeuvring and satisfactory streetscape outcomes are demonstrated. Motion Lost For Motion: Cr Macri Against Motion: Crs Antoniou, Atkins, Barlow, Blake, Byrne, Carlisle, Clay, D'Arienzo, Fergusson, Howard, Scott, Smith and Tastan The amendment below was then voted on prior to the original motion and was lost.
Item 1, small-car parking amendment and result
Open original minutes ↗The Antoniou/Barlow amendment proposed specifying minimum bicycle-parking rates and adding boarding-house and co-living controls covering built-in beds, bathroom ventilation, room sizes, and openings for natural light and ventilation.
Amendment: (Antoniou/Barlow) Amend point 1 to: 1. Adopt the draft Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 Attachment 1 and Solar Panels Policy in Attachment 2 with the following changes a) Under 2.5.4 C49 amend table 2.5.6 to highlight the required bicycle parking rates are a 'minimum' b) Under 3.4 Boarding Houses & Co-living Housing include the following recommendations i. Amend Control C12, to add where built in beds are proposed, adequate clearance must be provided on 3 sides of the bed. ii. Natural ventilation to bathrooms where they are located should be provided on external walls iii. Co-living developments must achieve a range of room sizes as follows: Council Meeting 10 November 2026 17 1. A minimum of 20% of rooms must have the maximum floor area of 25sqm 2. No more than 20% of rooms may be provided at the minimum sizes prescribed under the Housing SEPP being12sqm for a single room and 16sqm for a double room. iv. Each unit must include a window opening or external opening to provide natural light and ventilation.
Item 1, second amendment, clause 1
Open original minutes ↗The text specifies a minimum window-glass area equivalent to at least 10 per cent of the room's total floor area and calls for adding a control requiring en-suite bathrooms for double-occupancy rooms.
Windows must have minimum glass area equivalent to at least 10% of the room's total floor area. v. Add a control at C25 that double occupancy rooms must include an en- suite bathroom.
Item 1, second amendment, continuation of clause 1(b)
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from the unconfirmed public minutes of Inner West Council’s Ordinary Council meeting held on 10 November 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The unconfirmed minutes record Council adopting the Inner West Development Control Plan 2026 and Solar Panels Policy on 10 November 2026.
- The DCP is recorded as commencing on 1 January 2027.
- The adopted changes include a revised Seaview Street car park control and revised adaptable-dwelling requirements.
- A small-car parking amendment proposed by Councillor Macri was recorded as lost.
- A separate amendment covering minimum bicycle parking and boarding-house and co-living controls was also recorded as lost.
- Council resolved to receive a DCP implementation and review report 12 months after commencement.
Why it matters
- The adopted resolution revises the Seaview Street car park control and adaptable-dwelling requirements. The rejected amendments will not form part of the changes recorded in the adopted resolution.