Wollongong council rejects house-on-stilts plan for narrow Stanwell Tops laneway
A planning panel rejected a Stanwell Tops house-on-stilts plan because the design would block neighbours' legal right to drive along the laneway.
A developer sought approval to build a three-bedroom home on a narrow laneway in Stanwell Tops that connects two streets. The site is only six metres wide and 97.5 metres deep, which prevented a standard ground-level build in 2018.
The new proposal elevated the house on stilts 2.4 metres above the laneway to preserve access underneath. Neighbouring residents have a registered legal right to use the laneway for vehicle access, including boats and caravans.
The panel agreed that the stilts, supports, stairs and landscaping would block that right of way. The panel stopped the development because ten neighbouring properties needed vehicle access.
- 6 metres
- Site width
- 97.5 metres
- Site depth
- 2.4 metres
- Elevated height
- 16
- Objections lodged
Why it mattersThe decision clarifies that creative building solutions cannot override legal access rights, limiting options for developing constrained sites.
AustraliaWollongong and other councils now have clearer precedent on balancing land use with established property rights, affecting future development approvals for similar narrow or constrained blocks.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
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