By Anna Bensemann | Sep 03, 2021
Selwyn District Council are ready to notify a revised new District Plan in early October. While it’s not certain what this new plan will contain, we understand that the current large number of planning zones is to be reduced. No doubt this will change the zoning for parts of our urban and rural zones and may also change the minimum area you can easily subdivide your land too.
With any plan change there are winners and losers as the new rules look to impose restrictions across the newly formed zones and relax restrictions in others. Some will be able to create smaller allotments, others my find they are no longer able to subdivide easily. Once notified any person can make a submission and explain to decision makers why their land should be able to be subdivided to smaller (or larger) allotment sizes, and this needs to be backed by some robust planning reasons to be successful.
However, you may choose to utilize the existing rule structure to subdivide your property. If you have been thinking about this for a while, and you can easily subdivide, the uncertainty around district plan changes could be the stimulant that spurs you into action today.
Currently in Selwyn the primary Urban zones are Living 1 and 2 zones, although the minimum allotments for these zones vary between townships. The Living 1 at Lincoln, Leeston, Doyleston and Darfield is 650 m², 750 m² in Rolleston and 800 m² in Dunsandel, Kirwee and Prebbleton. There are lots of other zones that allow for smaller or larger section sizes in these townships. It is these variations that Council is aiming to reduce.
Each site is different and the planning rules that specifically apply such as driveway widths, setbacks from streams and the shape of new allotments will need to be addressed in any planning application seeking the subdivision of your property.
Being aware of what is possible on your site whether subdividing or building under the existing district plan is also important for understanding how the new district plan might change the future of your site. This can be useful for making a submission in support of the changes or in opposition to them. Supporting changes that benefit your land is just as important as this encourages decision makers to retain proposed changes. I have written about making submissions before and I recommend you check back issues of the Ellesmere Echo for more information. Back issues are available free online.
Although it will be a few years before any proposed district plan changes have an effect on your ability to subdivide or otherwise use your land, understanding what you can do now is an important tool for ensuring any changes fit with your expectations for your land.
The best way to know what is possible with your land under the current planning regime is to contact your favorite planning company and make an enquiry.
Articles you might be interested in
- Hazardous activities, land contamination and resource consent applications
- Flood Management | Changes in Selwyn
- State highways, noise and reverse sensitivity: what’s the buzz?
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Crunch Time For New Freshwater Legislation
- Why we have complicated septic tank disposal rules
- Risks to farmland in the planning framework
- Buildings under exemptions may still need resource consent
- Burning crop stubble on your property?
- Negotiating with Neighbours Under the RMA
- Balancing Common Sense and Legal Process under the RMA: Protecting Communities and the Environment
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan Update
- Housing Intensification – Not for Everyone Says CCC
- What does a professional planner do?
- Good District Plan provisions save time and money
- New Indigenous Biodiversity Legislation Mandates Significant Natural Area Identification
- Spotlight on District Plan Provisions
- Confused by Environmental Legislation? You are Not Alone.
- A Practical Guide for District Plan Reviews
- The National Policy Statement for Natural Hazard Decision-Making and its effects on Resource Consents
- Planning land use to be resilient to natural hazards
- A recent Baseline Group project was recognised at the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards
- Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes - effect on farming
- Tiny Home Revolution May Not Save Costs
- The Great Forestry Debate
- Our History - How We All Play a Part in its Protection
- With increasing density, good design matters
- RMA changes are coming, are you ready?
- How lizards might affect your new development
- Boundary disputes – What are they and how can you resolve them?
- Is it a Wetland or Not?
- Rural Allotment Sizes set to Double
- Minimum Car Parking Requirements to be Chopped
- Time's up on the RMA
- Councils are Increasing Residential Density, but why, who does it benefit?
- The dream of subdividing your land
- Have your say on Development Projects
- Planning Permissions – Resource Consent or Plan Change?
- Wild Weather and Resource Consent Requirements
- Is the RMA really the problem?
- How Tree Canopies Transform Neighbourhoods and Enhance Lives
- Who Shapes our Planning Rules?
- Housing Growth continues in Selwyn with Legislative Support
- Planning Rules can Affect Property Value
- Fundamental Culture Shift in New Zealand Planning Legislation.
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan - What next?
- Commercial Activity in a Rural Zone – What’s the Harm?
- But that’s the way we have always done it!
- Change isn't coming, it's here!
- Rural allotment sizes set to double in West Selwyn
- Indigenous Biodiversity: what does it mean for a farmer?
- Cross lease titles - an overview
- The importance of knowing your boundaries
- Minimum car parking requirements to be chopped
- How might Development Contributions affect you?
- Your Rights as an Affected Neighbour: Navigating Development Under the RMA
- Make Your Additional Land Profitable Under the Selwyn Proposed Plan
- Game changers for housing under the RMA
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Changes to Resource Management Planning Signalled in Proposed Legislation
- The Role of Planning in the Climate Change - Discussion for Agriculture
- Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED)
- Historic Heritage Challenges for Landowners
- The impact of consent notices when purchasing land
- Managing Cultural Heritage Sites
- What to do when you inherit land
- Who Pays for Infrastructure in Greenfield Land Development?
- Selwyn District Council Changes Urban Allotment Sizes