By Anna Bensemann | Sept 01, 2021
Most District Councils place a restriction on commercial activities being carried out in rural or residential zones. By commercial I’m not talking about the commercial nature of your farm which may be your business. I mean businesses which are not relying on the use of the land to operate. Activities such as cafés, shops, office space or even warehousing and storage activities fall under the type of commercial activities councils are trying to control.
By use of blunt zoning tools, councils have identified areas where they consider that the predominant activities should be either rural or residential in nature, and zoned them accordingly. In most cases the District Plan Rules consider that commercial activities of a particular size, or nature, or which generate a certain number of traffic movements should only be allowed to establish in these zones once considered through the resource consent process.
But what is the harm of having one little commercial activity in rural or residential area? What effect could that possibly have? Bearing in mind that these rules apply to large areas of rural or residential zoned land, Councils use the planning rules as a trigger for enabling consideration of individual projects. This allows them to consider the specific details of what is proposed, what exists in the surrounding environment and what actual effect is likely to arise. It also enables council to consider if many other similar activities might seek to locate in the same area, effectively changing the nature of the zone.
Key considerations will be if the commercial activity will generate a lot of traffic movements, and if this will have an effect on the safety of the road, if there is sufficient car parking so that the streets or road berms are not full of parked cars, and if immediate neighbours will be impacted by the noise and general busy nature generated by commercial activities.
Council should consider signage proposed to advertise the commercial activity, and what effect this might have on neighbours or traffic, particularly in the rural areas. Signage that is too small or too big may create traffic hazards for motorists.
Cafes might generate noise in residential areas which impacts on neighbours ability to enjoy their properties during the day or at night, or evening lighting which causes glare for neighbours. In rural areas, there are questions around what happens with wastewater and where is water sourced from. All of these matters are considered by the District Council, and if the impacts are considered acceptable, consent will be granted.
This wide range of matters which have to be taken into account by the Council reflect that not all parts of the rural or residential zones are equal. By considering each proposal separately, decisions and possibly design changes can be made to ensure activities do not impact on the primary rural or residential activities intended in that area.
What is the harm in enabling a commercial activity in a rural or residential zone? The answer is that until the activity is investigated through the resource consent process no one knows with certainty. The resource consent process helps us to have some certainty and one part of why resource consents are required.
Articles you might be interested in
- Selwyn District Council Changes Urban Allotment Sizes
- New Indigenous Biodiversity Legislation Mandates Significant Natural Area Identification
- Ensuring Compliance with Resource Management Laws
- How Tree Canopies Transform Neighbourhoods and Enhance Lives
- Crunch Time For New Freshwater Legislation
- Rural allotment sizes set to double in West Selwyn
- Who Shapes our Planning Rules?
- How to navigate Rural Land Development Under the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Soils
- Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes - effect on farming
- Rivers, Lakes and Coastline, Public Space for All
- Game changers for housing under the RMA
- Confused by Environmental Legislation? You are Not Alone.
- What does The Selwyn District Plan (appeals version) mean for the planning process and consent?
- Understanding Zoning and Density Rules in Selwyn
- Balancing Common Sense and Legal Process under the RMA: Protecting Communities and the Environment
- Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED)
- Planning land use to be resilient to natural hazards
- Have your say on Development Projects
- District Plan in Selwyn – How will it Affect You?
- Our History - How We All Play a Part in its Protection
- Change isn't coming, it's here!
- Land Development opportunities and times of change
- Going for housing growth, to improve housing affordability
- Rural Allotment Sizes set to Double
- How might Development Contributions affect you?
- How lizards might affect your new development
- Back to Basics for the RMA Reforms
- Cross lease titles - an overview
- Navigating New Opportunities: The Importance of Land Development Planning in 2024
- Spotlight on District Plan Provisions
- Burning crop stubble on your property?
- Managing Waterbodies on Your Property: What Landowners Need to Know
- The rise or fall of rural lifestyle blocks in the Selwyn District?
- The Great Forestry Debate
- Tiny Home Revolution May Not Save Costs
- What does an activity status mean for your land development?
- Cross Lease Titles
- The Taking of Esplanades at the Time of Subdivision
- Minimum car parking requirements to be chopped
- What does a professional planner do?
- A recent Baseline Group project was recognised at the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards
- Managing Wastewater in Rural Canterbury: A Guide for Property Owners
- Planning Permissions – Resource Consent or Plan Change?
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan Update
- The dream of subdividing your land
- Is it a Wetland or Not?
- Make Your Additional Land Profitable Under the Selwyn Proposed Plan
- Understanding Land Covenants: What You Need to Know
- What does your zone mean for you and your property?
- Housing Intensification – Not for Everyone Says CCC
- The Role of Planning in the Climate Change - Discussion for Agriculture
- RMA changes are coming, are you ready?
- Wild Weather and Resource Consent Requirements
- Time's up on the RMA
- Minimum Car Parking Requirements to be Chopped
- Submissions to a Resource Consent by Affected Parties
- What to do when you inherit land
- Tiny Homes and Granny Flats
- Risks to farmland in the planning framework
- Changes to Resource Management Planning Signalled in Proposed Legislation
- Councils are Increasing Residential Density, but why, who does it benefit?
- With increasing density, good design matters
- Hazardous activities, land contamination and resource consent applications
- Historic Heritage Challenges for Landowners
- Boundary disputes – What are they and how can you resolve them?
- State highways, noise and reverse sensitivity: what’s the buzz?
- Why we have complicated septic tank disposal rules
- The Role of Planning in Land and Property Development
- Navigating Prior Engineering Acceptance for Urban Developments in Selwyn
- The importance of knowing your boundaries
- Planning Rules can Affect Property Value
- Is planning the cause of red tape for land development?
- Fundamental Culture Shift in New Zealand Planning Legislation.
- Your Rights as an Affected Neighbour: Navigating Development Under the RMA
- Indigenous Biodiversity: what does it mean for a farmer?
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Subdividing – The Basics
- The National Policy Statement for Natural Hazard Decision-Making and its effects on Resource Consents
- Good District Plan provisions save time and money
- Time matters – With Resource Consent
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- A New Dawn for Granny Flats and Accessory Dwellings
- Who Pays for Infrastructure in Greenfield Land Development?
- Managing Cultural Heritage Sites
- Is the RMA really the problem?
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan - What next?
- Flood Management – An Update
- The impact of consent notices when purchasing land
- The costs of subdividing hitting Selwyn | development contributions
- But that’s the way we have always done it!
- Buildings under exemptions may still need resource consent
- A Practical Guide for District Plan Reviews
- Build-to-Rent Development in New Zealand: A Rising Trend in Housing
- Negotiating with Neighbours Under the RMA
- Flood Management | Changes in Selwyn
- Importance of Sediment Management in Land Development Projects: Simple Techniques for Effective Sediment Runoff Control
- Housing Growth continues in Selwyn with Legislative Support