Development standard
A development standard is a measurable planning control (FSR, height, lot size, setbacks) in an LEP or scheme that a development must meet or formally seek to vary.
Ask Chalkline about this →A development standard is a measurable planning control set by an LEP or planning scheme, floor space ratio, height of buildings, minimum lot size, setbacks, that a development must meet or formally seek to vary.
Development standards are the quantifiable controls a proposal is measured against, as distinct from the qualitative objectives a development must also be consistent with. The common ones are the FSR, the maximum building height, the minimum lot size and frontage, the setbacks, and the landscaped-area and site-coverage requirements.
In NSW, a development that cannot meet a development standard can seek a variation under clause 4.6 of the LEP: a written request that justifies the variation by showing compliance is unreasonable or unnecessary in the circumstances and there are sufficient environmental planning grounds. The consent authority may grant it if the test is met. Other states have equivalent variation or performance-based mechanisms.
For a builder the practical move is to identify every development standard that applies to your site (from the LEP or scheme plus any overlays) and test the design against each before you lodge. Where you cannot meet one, the path is a properly argued variation request, not hoping the assessor overlooks it. A well-justified clause 4.6 (or equivalent) can carry a non-complying design through, but an unaddressed breach of a development standard is one of the most straightforward grounds for refusal there is.
Also known as: Planning standard, numeric control.
Category: Planning / Controls.
Related
See also
References
- LEPs (NSW) (Chalkline) (verified 2026-06-01)
Last updated: 2026-06-01. Verified: 2026-06-01. Quarterly review for currency.