By Rose Marshall, Planner, Baseline Group | October 29, 2024 | Dec 09, 2024
Within New Zealand, each District Council uses zoning and density rules to guide where and how housing development occurs, playing a crucial role in shaping our neighbourhoods. Selwyn district continues to experience significant growth and understanding these development rules can help landowners make informed choices about developing their properties.
Zoning refers to the mapping of land into designated areas for specific uses, such as residential, commercial, industrial, or recreational. Each zone has distinct rules that control development in terms of building types, heights, and proximity to neighbouring properties. These rules help maintain the character of the area, ensuring new developments contribute towards functional, safe neighbourhoods.
A common question among landowners is whether they are allowed to build more than one dwelling on their property. The answer largely depends on the zoning classification of the land. In certain zones, particularly medium-density residential areas, landowners may have the opportunity to develop multiple units, such as townhouses. However, in low-density zones where single-family homes are anticipated, building multiple dwellings may not be permitted. However, in some cases, one minor residential unit — an ancillary dwelling with a floor area up to 70 m²— may be allowed.
These density rules determine the scale of residential developments and influence everything from traffic patterns to local services and amenities. Higher density is typically only provided for in areas able to service this increase in density, such as those in proximity to commercial hubs, community facilities, and large open spaces. In the Selwyn District the following residential zones provide for land development opportunities:
Large Lot Residential Zones: This zone typically accommodates larger properties, permitting one primary dwelling and one minor dwelling. These areas are designed to maintain spacious living environments, typically located on the fringe of townships, providing a transition to surrounding rural areas.
Low-Density Residential Zones: Primarily designated for single-family homes, these zones also allow only one primary dwelling and one minor dwelling, promoting a suburban environment with larger lot sizes to preserve privacy and maintain a balance of open space.
General Residential Zones: These zones allow for a mix of housing types, permitting only one primary dwelling and one minor dwelling, but facilitating higher density (four or more units) through consent. This zone provides for moderate density.
Medium-Density Residential Zones: These areas permit a mix of housing types, including townhouses and duplexes, allowing for three dwellings to be established as a permitted activity. These zones support walkable neighbourhoods with access to essential services, which are becoming increasingly important as Selwyn grows.
Opportunities for Landowners:For landowners in Selwyn, understanding zoning and density rules allows for maximising property potential. Planning consultants can provide tailored advice, helping landowners understand the rules that apply to properties and assisting in the development of feasible plans to comply with local rules. They can also identify how many and what type of dwellings are allowed and how to navigate the resource consent process, if required.
By navigating zoning rules carefully, landowners can make strategic choices that enhance both property value and neighbourhood quality.
Articles you might be interested in
- Who Pays for Infrastructure in Greenfield Land Development?
- Your Rights as an Affected Neighbour: Navigating Development Under the RMA
- The impact of consent notices when purchasing land
- Subdividing – The Basics
- The costs of subdividing hitting Selwyn | development contributions
- The rise or fall of rural lifestyle blocks in the Selwyn District?
- Changes to Resource Management Planning Signalled in Proposed Legislation
- Commercial Activity in a Rural Zone – What’s the Harm?
- Tiny Homes and Granny Flats
- A New Dawn for Granny Flats and Accessory Dwellings
- Submissions to a Resource Consent by Affected Parties
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan - What next?
- Rural Allotment Sizes set to Double
- Wild Weather and Resource Consent Requirements
- A recent Baseline Group project was recognised at the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards
- Back to Basics for the RMA Reforms
- With increasing density, good design matters
- Fundamental Culture Shift in New Zealand Planning Legislation.
- A Practical Guide for District Plan Reviews
- Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED)
- Planning Rules can Affect Property Value
- State highways, noise and reverse sensitivity: what’s the buzz?
- Have your say on Development Projects
- The Taking of Esplanades at the Time of Subdivision
- Planning land use to be resilient to natural hazards
- What does The Selwyn District Plan (appeals version) mean for the planning process and consent?
- Managing Cultural Heritage Sites
- Minimum car parking requirements to be chopped
- Buildings under exemptions may still need resource consent
- What to do when you inherit land
- Who Shapes our Planning Rules?
- Is it a Wetland or Not?
- Game changers for housing under the RMA
- Boundary disputes – What are they and how can you resolve them?
- Housing Intensification – Not for Everyone Says CCC
- What does an activity status mean for your land development?
- Why we have complicated septic tank disposal rules
- Land Development opportunities and times of change
- Hazardous activities, land contamination and resource consent applications
- Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes - effect on farming
- Flood Management | Changes in Selwyn
- Balancing Common Sense and Legal Process under the RMA: Protecting Communities and the Environment
- Time matters – With Resource Consent
- Cross Lease Titles
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan Update
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Confused by Environmental Legislation? You are Not Alone.
- Our History - How We All Play a Part in its Protection
- Going for housing growth, to improve housing affordability
- Negotiating with Neighbours Under the RMA
- The National Policy Statement for Natural Hazard Decision-Making and its effects on Resource Consents
- Build-to-Rent Development in New Zealand: A Rising Trend in Housing
- What does a professional planner do?
- Ensuring Compliance with Resource Management Laws
- Make Your Additional Land Profitable Under the Selwyn Proposed Plan
- Cross lease titles - an overview
- The Role of Planning in the Climate Change - Discussion for Agriculture
- Minimum Car Parking Requirements to be Chopped
- Risks to farmland in the planning framework
- How might Development Contributions affect you?
- Time's up on the RMA
- The dream of subdividing your land
- The Role of Planning in Land and Property Development
- Change isn't coming, it's here!
- How lizards might affect your new development
- How Tree Canopies Transform Neighbourhoods and Enhance Lives
- Managing Wastewater in Rural Canterbury: A Guide for Property Owners
- Councils are Increasing Residential Density, but why, who does it benefit?
- Housing Growth continues in Selwyn with Legislative Support
- Tiny Home Revolution May Not Save Costs
- Selwyn District Council Changes Urban Allotment Sizes
- The Great Forestry Debate
- Indigenous Biodiversity: what does it mean for a farmer?
- Flood Management – An Update
- New Indigenous Biodiversity Legislation Mandates Significant Natural Area Identification
- Good District Plan provisions save time and money
- How to navigate Rural Land Development Under the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Soils
- District Plan in Selwyn – How will it Affect You?
- Historic Heritage Challenges for Landowners
- Rural allotment sizes set to double in West Selwyn
- Rivers, Lakes and Coastline, Public Space for All
- But that’s the way we have always done it!
- RMA changes are coming, are you ready?
- Crunch Time For New Freshwater Legislation
- Is the RMA really the problem?
- What does your zone mean for you and your property?
- The importance of knowing your boundaries
- Spotlight on District Plan Provisions
- Navigating New Opportunities: The Importance of Land Development Planning in 2024
- Planning Permissions – Resource Consent or Plan Change?
- Burning crop stubble on your property?
- Importance of Sediment Management in Land Development Projects: Simple Techniques for Effective Sediment Runoff Control