Hunter's Hill Council
Private building certifier in Henley
Henley has no conservation area, so owners often expect an easy CDC, then find the river front map blocks it. In this small riverside suburb, CertifiBuild certifies homes, additions, garages and pools.
NSW 2111
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Henley: no conservation area, but plenty of river
From Blandville to Henley
Its first name, Blandville, honoured Dr William Bland, who received a land grant here. In 1895 it was renamed Henley, a nod to Henley-on-Thames and the local rowing scene. Covering about 27 hectares, it ranks among Sydney's smallest suburbs. Detached houses dominate, with some semis and townhouses.
The one suburb with no conservation area
Of all the Hunter's Hill suburbs, only Henley has no heritage conservation area. Thirteen local items are still listed, including the punt ramp at Dick Street, seven Dick Street houses such as Clifton and Lochnagar, Blandville Wharf and the Searle Monument. No bushfire prone land or flood planning map applies.
Same controls everywhere
Every mapped standard is the same across the suburb. Lots need 900 m2 at minimum, and floor space is capped at 0.5:1. Buildings may reach 8.5 metres. About 95% of the suburb is river front area under Hunters Hill LEP 2012. The closest mapped town centre lies in Gladesville. Roughly a quarter of Henley is less than 800 metres from it, measured as the crow flies.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Detached and semi-detached homes on large lots near the river drive most of the work. Common Henley jobs include:
- Renovating or extending existing homes, with river front considerations but no conservation area rules.
- New homes and rebuilds on 900 square metre lots, within the two storey aim and landscaped area limits.
- Jetties, boat sheds, stairs, pools and sea walls inside the foreshore band, roughly 5% of the suburb.
- Decks, pools, terraces and garages on lots that slope toward the water.
- Granny flats and dual occupancies, within lot size thresholds of 700 or 900 square metres.
How approval usually works
Even without heritage areas, a CDC (fast-track approval under state rules) is rarely possible because river front mapping excludes the Housing Code. Any portion of a lot beyond that map keeps its options, so check your exact property. For a compliant house, no floor space ratio applies. The limits then become landscaped area, two storeys and height. Landscaped area must be 60% on lots fronting the river directly, and 50% on other lots. Where single storey homes dominate, the DCP generally wants upper floors to sit 5 metres further back than the ground floor front. Side setbacks are 1.5 metres and rear setbacks 6 metres. Next to the water, no new fill, excavation or retaining is allowed in the foreshore strip. CertifiBuild reviews your lot's river front and foreshore mapping first, so the right pathway is clear before drawings are finished.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Henley job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Henley are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageIs any part of Henley a heritage conservation area?
No part of Henley is a heritage conservation area, making it unique among Hunter’s Hill suburbs. Heritage can still come up, though. Thirteen local items are listed, including seven Dick Street houses such as Clifton and Lochnagar, the Dick Street punt ramp, Blandville Wharf and the Searle Monument. Building work affecting one of these, or close to it, gets its own heritage assessment. Look up your address on the local plan’s heritage map, and keep in mind that the river front mapping matters more for most lots.
Without heritage rules, why can’t I get a CDC?
Because river front mapping, not heritage, is what closes that door. Roughly 95% of Henley is river front area under Hunters Hill LEP 2012, and the state codes take the Housing Code away from mapped land whatever its heritage status. A complying development certificate (CDC) is therefore rarely available here. Any portion of your block beyond the map keeps its options, so the answer can change across one property. Compare your exact property with the map, then decide which route, CDC or development application (DA), fits.
How tall can a new Henley home be?
A new home in Henley can reach 8.5 metres, the height limit over all its residential land. Height is only part of it. The aim is two storeys near the river, counted from existing ground, and the DCP generally wants an upper floor pulled back 5 metres from the ground floor front where single storey homes dominate. Side setbacks are 1.5 metres and rear setbacks 6 metres. Landscaped area, 60% on lots fronting the river directly and 50% on the rest, often limits a home’s size more than height does.
Building in this suburb?
Send us the address first.
We check the local maps for your lot, confirm the approval path and quote in writing.