By Anna Bensemann | Sept 13, 2021
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.
The Proposed Selwyn District Plan sought to remedy this situation to simplify the number of zones in the district. The Council indicated that the proposed changes were to make it clear what the provisions would be and to map those areas that they would be subject to.
In main townships there is a range of three key residential zones, being the General Residential Zone, the Low-Density Residential Zone and the Large Lot Residential Zone. When undertaking a subdivision, developments are subject to both a minimum allotment size provision and a minimum average allotment size, to allow for a range of section sizes, rather than just uniform developments throughout the district.
The General Residential Zone dominates the urban areas of Rolleston, Lincoln and Prebbleton, and seeks to create minimum allotments of 500m² with a minimum average section size of 650 m². Similar allotment sizes in the same areas under the existing plan range from 650 m² through to 800 m² under the current planning provisions.
In the Low-Density Residential Zone applied across most urban areas in Leeston, Darfield, part of Kirwee, and in Southbridge, the minimum allotment size is proposed to be 600 m² with an average allotment size of 750 m², some 100 m² larger than provided for in the General Residential Zone. For Leeston this is an increase from the current 650 m² minimum provided for currently.
The effect of changes to zone allotment size minimums is that there were many allotments created historically that could have easily been subdivided in the future when more intensive development was undertaken. However now sections created that were 1,300 m² in Leeston, will not easily be subdivided in the future under the proposed new plan as two lots will need to have an average of 750 m² each.
Large Lot Residential zoned sites are provided for on the periphery of townships with minimum allotment sizes of 3,000 m² and average allotment sizes of 5,000 m² (half a hectare). These larger allotments provide for semi-lifestyle sections.
Our Government has given clear directions to councils to provide more intensive housing, and to meet the growing housing demand. It, therefore, seems interesting that the approach taken in the Proposed Selwyn District Plan is to increase some minimum allotment sizes in parts of the district and to provide for urban development largely within the existing urban extent of townships. This appears to be somewhat maintaining the status quo, rather than promoting growth. It is now up to the Selwyn Community to decide what they want for their district through the submissions and further submissions to the Proposed District Plan.
Articles you might be interested in
- Burning crop stubble on your property?
- Land Development opportunities and times of change
- Wild Weather and Resource Consent Requirements
- Cross lease titles - an overview
- Planning land use to be resilient to natural hazards
- Is the RMA really the problem?
- Changes to Resource Management Planning Signalled in Proposed Legislation
- Rivers, Lakes and Coastline, Public Space for All
- Managing Cultural Heritage Sites
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Back to Basics for the RMA Reforms
- What does an activity status mean for your land development?
- Tiny Home Revolution May Not Save Costs
- Have your say on Development Projects
- How to navigate Rural Land Development Under the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Soils
- New Indigenous Biodiversity Legislation Mandates Significant Natural Area Identification
- Flood Management | Changes in Selwyn
- Minimum car parking requirements to be chopped
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan Update
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- The Great Forestry Debate
- Balancing Common Sense and Legal Process under the RMA: Protecting Communities and the Environment
- Spotlight on District Plan Provisions
- The dream of subdividing your land
- Planning Rules can Affect Property Value
- Minimum Car Parking Requirements to be Chopped
- Risks to farmland in the planning framework
- Indigenous Biodiversity: what does it mean for a farmer?
- Boundary disputes – What are they and how can you resolve them?
- Make Your Additional Land Profitable Under the Selwyn Proposed Plan
- With increasing density, good design matters
- Fundamental Culture Shift in New Zealand Planning Legislation.
- Why we have complicated septic tank disposal rules
- The rise or fall of rural lifestyle blocks in the Selwyn District?
- The costs of subdividing hitting Selwyn | development contributions
- Build-to-Rent Development in New Zealand: A Rising Trend in Housing
- A New Dawn for Granny Flats and Accessory Dwellings
- Flood Management – An Update
- The Taking of Esplanades at the Time of Subdivision
- Hazardous activities, land contamination and resource consent applications
- How Tree Canopies Transform Neighbourhoods and Enhance Lives
- Who Pays for Infrastructure in Greenfield Land Development?
- What to do when you inherit land
- Commercial Activity in a Rural Zone – What’s the Harm?
- RMA changes are coming, are you ready?
- What does The Selwyn District Plan (appeals version) mean for the planning process and consent?
- Planning Permissions – Resource Consent or Plan Change?
- Tiny Homes and Granny Flats
- Is it a Wetland or Not?
- How lizards might affect your new development
- Councils are Increasing Residential Density, but why, who does it benefit?
- The Role of Planning in the Climate Change - Discussion for Agriculture
- Your Rights as an Affected Neighbour: Navigating Development Under the RMA
- Importance of Sediment Management in Land Development Projects: Simple Techniques for Effective Sediment Runoff Control
- Rural allotment sizes set to double in West Selwyn
- Our History - How We All Play a Part in its Protection
- Time's up on the RMA
- Crunch Time For New Freshwater Legislation
- Understanding Zoning and Density Rules in Selwyn
- State highways, noise and reverse sensitivity: what’s the buzz?
- Submissions to a Resource Consent by Affected Parties
- How might Development Contributions affect you?
- Subdividing – The Basics
- Going for housing growth, to improve housing affordability
- The National Policy Statement for Natural Hazard Decision-Making and its effects on Resource Consents
- The importance of knowing your boundaries
- Who Shapes our Planning Rules?
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan - What next?
- Historic Heritage Challenges for Landowners
- The impact of consent notices when purchasing land
- What does your zone mean for you and your property?
- But that’s the way we have always done it!
- A recent Baseline Group project was recognised at the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards
- What does a professional planner do?
- Game changers for housing under the RMA
- Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes - effect on farming
- Rural Allotment Sizes set to Double
- Change isn't coming, it's here!
- Confused by Environmental Legislation? You are Not Alone.
- Housing Intensification – Not for Everyone Says CCC
- Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED)
- Housing Growth continues in Selwyn with Legislative Support
- Negotiating with Neighbours Under the RMA
- Ensuring Compliance with Resource Management Laws
- Good District Plan provisions save time and money
- Cross Lease Titles
- The Role of Planning in Land and Property Development
- District Plan in Selwyn – How will it Affect You?
- Time matters – With Resource Consent
- Managing Wastewater in Rural Canterbury: A Guide for Property Owners
- Buildings under exemptions may still need resource consent
- A Practical Guide for District Plan Reviews
- Navigating New Opportunities: The Importance of Land Development Planning in 2024