An Open and Creative City: planning for culture and the night-time economy
Proposed planning controls to allow shops and businesses to trade later, more creative activities and fair management of entertainment sound.
Project Status: Closed
Council approved the plans in March 2021.
Public consultation period to
In 2017 we sought feedback from both the community and the creative industries on our discussion paper, An Open and Creative City.
With this feedback we prepared proposals to improve planning controls for cultural life, creative activities, live entertainment and the night-time economy.
The proposals:
- allow existing shops and business to trade in central Sydney and local centres from 7am to 10pm, 7 days a week without an additional approval
- allow temporary small-scale cultural activities to take place in existing office, industrial, retail and community facility buildings without an approval
- make it easier for creative and maker tenants to locate in local centres
- allow for performance and entertainment uses at Erskineville Town Hall
- enable the fair management of entertainment sound to protect live music and performance venues and the community from potential adverse impacts.
We considered all feedback and reported the results to Council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee.
- Council decided to do further work with stakeholders to finalise the fair management of entertainment sound.
Council endorsed the other proposals in March 2021 and sent them to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment for final approval.
- The Department of Planning and Environment did not approve our proposal to allow temporary small-scale cultural activities to take place in existing office, industrial, retail and community facility buildings without an approval. Instead, it allowed some retail premises to change to an entertainment facility on a permanent basis without approval as part of changes to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Codes) 2008.
- We will continue to work with the Department of Planning and Environment to create more opportunities for temporary small-scale cultural events in our city.
- The Department of Planning and Environment approved the proposals for later opening shops, performance and entertainment at Erskineville Town Hall, and creative and maker tenants in local centres. These changes have all been finalised.
2020 consultation details
From 19 October 2020 to 18 November 2020 we asked for your feedback on our proposed planning controls to allow shops and businesses to trade later, more creative activities and fair management of entertainment sound.
The information below is for historical purposes only.
Main documents (archived)
Amended planning proposalPDF · 1.23 MB · Last modified
Draft Sydney development control plan open and creative planning reformsPDF · 840.15 KB · Last modified
Appendix A: Draft Sydney development control planPDF · 3.75 MB · Last modified
Draft technical guidelinesPDF · 701.73 KB · Last modified
Background documents (archived)
An Open and Creative City discussion paper (October 2017)PDF · 15.32 MB · Last modified
Report considered by Planning and Development CommitteePDF · 6.95 MB · Last modified
Information relevant to item 9.3 – Public exhibition – Planning proposal – Open and creative planning reformsPDF · 1.99 MB · Last modified
Report considered by Central Sydney Planning CommitteePDF · 616.23 KB · Last modified
Resolution of CouncilPDF · 85.1 KB · Last modified
Resolution of Central Sydney Planning CommitteePDF · 87.44 KB · Last modified
Gateway letter from Department of Planning Industry & EnvironmentPDF · 85.54 KB · Last modified
Gateway determinationPDF · 84.54 KB · Last modified
