“Blacktown is growing and it would be short sighted not to be properly prepared,” said Blacktown City Mayor, Stephen Bali.
“We have the biggest population of any council area in the state – currently there are more than 340,000 people living here and this is predicted to grow to some 540,000 by 2036. We know more than 7,200 people moved into the area last year – the biggest population increase for a council area in NSW. “
The new LEP will permit development in the established areas of its city, and make way for more employment in these development hubs.
The creation of this plan involved intensive community consultation and dedicated work by council officers, said Mayor Bali.
The Local Environmental Plan (LEP) is an overarching planning framework created by Blacktown Council and approved by the State Government. Blacktown’s LEP was signed off at the end June 2015 and comes into effect in mid-August.
Mayor Bali says a key element of the plan will be the creation of four development hubs in Blacktown CBD, Seven Hills, Rooty Hill and Mount Druitt.
These four areas will take on a significantly higher density than they have at the moment and it means the character of our suburban streets will stay the same.
Blacktown’s new precinct plan makes room for new job opportunities for people moving into the area. The plan includes a health and education precinct adjoining Blacktown Hospital.
This will provide for a cluster of health and community services as well as jobs to service the growing population and covers the Urban Renewal Precincts around the transport nodes and major centres.
The new LEP will see 50,000 new dwellings in the form of higher density housing such as residential flat buildings and mixed use apartment buildings.
The plan allows for residential buildings that can be up to 23 stories high and commercial buildings that can be up to 18 stories high in the Blacktown CBD.
“This is a 25-year program of growth and renewal designed to create a positive identity and make significant improvements to the sense of place, character and amenity of Blacktown,” Mayor Bali said.
