Council Approval for Manor Houses
A manor house is a specific gentle-density housing type - up to four dwellings within a building of no more than two storeys - introduced to sit between a dual occupancy and a full apartment building in low and medium density zones. Permissibility and lot requirements are set by the Housing SEPP and the applicable LEP. A manor house can sometimes be certified as complying development where every applicable design criterion, including solar access, private open space, building separation and landscaped area, is met in full. Where any one criterion is not met, a development application is the correct pathway instead.
Free consultation
- 1-2 weeks for eligibility; 5-14 weeks to approval depending on pathway
- From $2,900 + GST depending on pathway
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
A housing type built for the middle ground
The manor house exists to fill a specific gap - more housing on a lot than a dual occupancy, without stepping up to full apartment-building scale and its associated controls. Four dwellings, capped at two storeys, in one building. It is a deliberately narrow definition, and getting a proposal to sit inside it (or, sometimes, deciding a different housing type suits the site better) is the first real decision on a manor house project.
Complying development is available, conditionally
Where a manor house design meets every applicable criterion - solar access, private open space, building separation and landscaped area among them - it can be certified through the fast complying development pathway. The word "every" matters here more than on some other housing types, because the criteria interact: pushing building separation to gain floor area, for instance, can compromise the solar access outcome for another dwelling in the same building.
When a DA suits the site better
Where the lot, orientation or surrounding context make full compliance with every CDC criterion impractical, a development application allows the design to be assessed on its merits instead - often producing a better outcome for the site than forcing a design to fit criteria it was never going to satisfy cleanly.
How it works
Zone and lot check
2-4 business days
Confirming manor house permissibility and lot requirements under the Housing SEPP and applicable LEP.
Design criteria assessment
3-5 business days
Solar access, private open space, building separation and landscaped area tested against the complying development criteria.
Documentation
2-6 weeks depending on route
Plans and supporting material matched to whichever pathway the design satisfies.
Approval
5-14 weeks depending on pathway
Certification or council determination through to issue.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Confirming zone permissibility and lot requirements under the Housing SEPP and LEP
- Checking eligibility for the complying development pathway against every design criterion
- Solar access, private open space and building separation analysis at concept stage
- Preparing plans matched to whichever pathway your site and design can use
- Preparing and lodging a DA where the CDC criteria are not fully met
- Managing council or certifier queries through to approval
What you don't have to deal with
- Assuming manor house automatically means the fast complying development pathway
- Missing a single design criterion and finding out only after lodgement
Frequently asked questions
What exactly counts as a manor house?
A building containing up to four dwellings, no more than two storeys in height, introduced as a distinct housing type positioned between a dual occupancy and a larger apartment building. It is defined by both the dwelling count and the storey limit together, not by either one alone.
Where are manor houses permitted?
Permissibility and lot requirements are set by the Housing SEPP together with your council's LEP, and apply in low and medium density residential zones rather than everywhere. We confirm this against your specific zone and lot before design work starts.
Can a manor house be complying development?
Sometimes - where the design satisfies every applicable criterion, including solar access, private open space, building separation and landscaped area, in full. Missing even one criterion moves the proposal to a development application rather than disqualifying it outright.
How does a manor house differ from multi dwelling housing with four units?
A manor house is defined as one building containing the four dwellings, capped at two storeys, and sits within its own specific planning framework. Multi dwelling housing with a similar unit count can be arranged as separate or semi-attached buildings across the lot and is assessed under different controls. The distinction affects both the design brief and the approval pathway.
Related services
Dual Occupancies
A dual occupancy is two dwellings, attached or detached, on a single lot.
Low & Medium Density (LMR)
Low and medium density residential development - dual occupancies, manor houses, terraces, townhouses and multi-dwelling housing - sits in the most contested part of the NSW planning framework.
Low & Mid-Rise Housing
The Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms allow terraces, manor houses, and residential flat buildings of two to six storeys on sites that were previously limited to houses or duplexes, where the site sits within a set walking distance of a train station or a nominated town centre in an eligible council area.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 14
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.