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Planning Rules can Affect Property Value

By Anna Bensemann | Sept 07, 2021

The Selwyn District Council have notified a new District Plan with planning rules that govern how we use our properties and what our neighbours 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 a property.

For instance, if you live in a residential zone it is expected that there will be a certain, relatively quiet level of noise when compared to living in a business or commercial zone. This ensures you enjoy your property and should you choose to sell, will ensure this low ambient level of noise is a selling point that improves the value of your property.

So when a district plan is prepared that seeks to rearrange the zones and the rules that apply to each zone to achieve better planning outcomes, there can be instances where a landowner may find their land is proposed to be rezoned, or the permitted rules applying to their land and their neighbours land are different. The effect of this might be positive for property values or they may allow for activities that are detrimental to the values that make your property a valuable piece of paradise.

Checking the provisions of the proposed district plan will ensure you property can continue to be used for the purpose you wish, and also ensure your neighbours land cannot be used in a way that might reduce your property values. This might be looking at changes to minimum allotment sizes to see if there is now subdivision potential, checking noise limits haven’t changed, checking to see what types of extra buildings close to your boundary can be constructed without notifying you. The rules also address if your neighbour is allowed to run a small business from their homes such as a mechanics workshop or a small gym training facility. These activities might impact on the value of your property

If the rules proposed to look favourable for improving the value of your land a submission supporting the provisions will ensure the council understand that this change is supported by the community and gives you an opportunity to say why you support the rule if someone else seeks to change the same rules through the plan change process.

Equally making a submission to the district plan provisions opposing any rules that might allow your neighbours to carry out activities you disagree with is important to ensure you retain your property values. It might not be your current neighbours you need to consider, but what any new neighbour might do with a property.

A district plan is designed to be for the community, and one of the biggest challenges facing the council is knowing what the community actually thinks of the proposed amended provisions. By making a submission you can help to shape the future of your community, even if that is to just say you think they got the mix of permitted rules right for you. If you haven’t already done so please check out the proposed District plan and have a say here. https://yoursay.selwyn.govt.nz...

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