Step 4: Planning Requirements
Before reaching this step, stakeholders should have:
This step should include any studies to identify planning constraints such flooding and bushfire. To optimise co-location, potential conflicts with the other land uses should be identified with mitigation measures (e.g. noise conflicts with residential uses).
Step 4: Planning requirements
Further resources
What design requirements to ECEC services need to meet?
The NSW Child care planning guideline 2021 provides considerations for site selection and zoning. It also identifies seven principles for design quality, which are:
- Responding and contributing to context
- Built form with appropriate scale, bulk and height
- Adaptive learning spaces that are fit-for purpose, inclusive, enjoyable and easy to use
- Sustainable design which is durable and efficient
- Landscape with outdoor spaces for learning and increased environmental performance
- Amenity for children, staff and neighbours in the indoor and outdoor spaces
- Safety for children inside and outside the service
This is in addition to the relevant Development Control Plan (DCP). Where there is an overlap, the guideline takes precedence over DCPs.
How can services be more accessible and
inclusive?
- Practical guidance from ECEC providers Services’ Sector Capacity Building Program can help to create more inclusive learning environments in ECEC services.
Case Study: 89 South Street, Ulladulla
Mixed use development including centrebased ECEC service (114 places) and shop top housing (13 dwellings) (DA22/1134).
It was approved by the Land and Environment Court following amendments (e.g. to height and parking spaces) to the original application.
Zone: E2 Commercial Zone
Benefits: The development provided higher density mixed use development within a regional town centre such as Ulladulla. It addressed not only community needs for housing, but also included ECEC services to support direct employment of staff or working parents. It received community support (notwithstanding the challenges outlined below).
Challenges:
The selling point of the development was also a planning challenge as the ECEC and residential components potentially conflict with each other.
There were also traffic concerns from the community regarding pick up and drop off, not just in terms of congestion but safety for the children.
The design of the development had to account for the privacy of the future residents.
Mitigation:
- Noise control: Plan of Management with operational guidelines (e.g. closing windows during group singing or when outdoors, move crying children indoors) and provide noise attenuation from children’s activities to residential apartments upstairs with acoustic awning.
- Traffic management: On-site parking provided with driveway that has a clear line of sight to pedestrians. The development provided 63 off-street parking spaces were provided to include 27 ECEC centre spaces to local council’s DCP parking requirements.
- Privacy protection: Create visual barrier between the ECEC centre and residential apartments e.g. through with louvres to prevent overlooking.
Please go to our next page: Step 5: Planning pathways