With the RMA under scrutiny lately and a new planning framework for managing risks to land being integrated over the next two years, it’s a good time to consider the potential environmental risks to your land and how you might best manage them.
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The Proposed Selwyn District Plan includes a number of residential zones including the Large Lot Residential Zone, which has a minimum allotment size of 3000 m². This zone is proposed on the edge of townships to provide a buffer between intensive residential activities and the General Rural Zone. There are large areas around Darfield, Kirwee and West Melton and smaller areas on the periphery of Prebbleton, Lincoln, Leeston, Dunsandel, Southbridge and Rolleston.
With a proposed new district plan notified and going through a public participation process it is useful to consider what changes to the rules have been proposed. For example, one change is the urban zone minimum allotment sizes for residential activities. The existing planning framework for Selwyn has been modified through various processes over the years and it is very difficult to determine the minimum allotment as it varies between townships and there are multiple zones within a township that do not appear to follow rhyme or reason.
After having made your submission to the proposed Selwyn District Plan outlining concerns with changes or lack of changes to zoning, flood risk areas, noise limits, changes to minimum allotment sizes, or changes that enable multi-unit developments on site, - you may be asking what is the next step?
New planning provisions in district and regional plans can lead to an increase in public notification of resource consent applications to ensure any activities that are outside the anticipated planning provisions are appropriate. The costs of the public notification and subsequent hearing process can be in the order of tens of thousands of dollars to the applicant under the RMA’s user pays system, emphasizing the need to get our planning provisions correct early on.
Understanding changes in legislation can be difficult enough, and with the Government bringing in new provisions under National Policy Statements and National Environmental Standards, it can be difficult to keep up. At a local level, there are many district and unitary councils going through a plan change process after their 10-year plan review and are making rule and policy changes consistent with national legislative changes.
The Selwyn District council have notified a new District Plan with planning rules that govern how we use our properties and what our neighbors can do on their properties. These permitted activities are intended to ensure amenity values are achieved within our communities. The activities undertaken on your property or neighbouring properties can influence the value of property.
Selwyn District Council notified the new Selwyn District Plan in early October with a wide range of changes to the planning provisions that apply across the district. One big change in the new look district plan is that it will increase the minimum allotment size for rural subdivisions in the western part of the Selwyn District.
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.
Car parking requirements for new urban developments are due to be on the chopping block within 18 months under new planning provisions. All district councils are required to remove any objective, policy, rule or method that imposes a minimum carparking requirement in accordance with the Governments Urban Development National Policy statement.