Central Coast LEP 2022, C4 Environmental Living
What can I build in the C4 zone on the Central Coast?
C4 Environmental Living is low impact residential land in areas with special environmental or scenic values. Type your address to see the zone and the maps that limit your block.
What housing is permitted in the C4 zone?
| Can I build | In the C4 zone |
|---|---|
| A house | Yes, with development consent |
| A granny flat (secondary dwelling) | Yes, with development consent |
| A duplex (dual occupancy) | Yes, with development consent |
| Townhouses or villas (multi dwelling housing) | No, prohibited in this zone |
| Apartments (residential flat building) | No, prohibited in this zone |
What you can build here
Permitted without consent
- Home occupations
Permitted with consent
- Dwelling houses
- Dual occupancies
- Secondary dwellings
- Bed and breakfast accommodation
- Group homes
- Eco-tourist facilities
Permitted uses are based on the Central Coast LEP 2022. Other councils' LEPs differ.
What can I build on my block?
Type your address for its zone, height limit, lot size, flood and bushfire maps, all in one free report.
What is the C4 zone for?
C4 provides for low impact residential development in areas with special ecological, scientific or aesthetic values. Its objectives are to make sure housing does not have an adverse effect on those values, and to allow other land uses only where they will not harm them either.
Can I build a house, duplex or granny flat in C4?
Yes. C4 permits dwelling houses, dual occupancies, granny flats, bed and breakfast accommodation and eco tourist facilities with consent. Townhouses, attached dwellings and apartments are not permitted. The table below shows the housing types for this zone.
A granny flat can be the greater of 60 square metres or 30% of the main house's floor area under clause 5.4(9). For a dual occupancy, the Central Coast DCP sets different requirements in C4 from the residential zones, so read that chapter through my DCP and LEP cheat sheet before you design. Clause 4.2C of the LEP stops a house on a lot created by closing a road unless it meets the minimum lot size.
What else limits what I can build in C4?
Height, floor space ratio and minimum lot size vary lot by lot on the LEP maps, and the Site Checker reads them for your block. Then the environment.
- Vegetation. The report flags terrestrial biodiversity mapping. In my experience, keeping good trees and siting the house in an existing clearing makes the approval easier.
- Bushfire. A vegetated block is often bush fire prone. At BAL 40 or BAL FZ the complying development pathway closes, and the bushfire protection zone around the house can require more clearing.
- Waterfront. On a waterfront lot check the foreshore building line, the riparian land mapping and the flood layers.
What should I check before buying a C4 block?
Check the slope, because a steep site adds cost to the footings and the driveway, and fire travels faster up a slope, which can raise the bushfire rating. Pull the deposited plan and any covenants, and find out whether the lot is on town sewer. My checklist for buying land on the Central Coast covers the rest.
For the design guides see new homes and additions, or book a free chat and I will look at the block with you.
Questions people ask
Can I build a house in the C4 zone on the Central Coast?
Yes. Dwelling houses are permitted with consent in C4 under the Central Coast LEP 2022. The design has to show it will not have an adverse effect on the special values the zone protects.
Can I build a duplex or granny flat in C4?
Both are permitted with consent. Clause 5.4(9) limits a granny flat to the greater of 60 square metres or 30% of the floor area of the main house, and the Central Coast DCP sets different dual occupancy requirements in C4 from the residential zones.
Can I build townhouses in C4?
No. The Central Coast LEP 2022 does not permit multi dwelling housing, attached dwellings or residential flat buildings in C4.