District-wide matter: Family flats

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District Plan Review consultation now closed.

Initial public consultation on key draft changes to the current Selwyn District Plan closed on Monday 8 October 2018. Thank you to everyone who let us know what they thought of the review so far.

What’s next?

Following this initial public consultation on the District Plan Review, the Council will consider all feedback and start developing detailed provisions for the Proposed District Plan. Please note that a summary report on the initial public consultation will be made available on Your Say Selwyn website at www.selwyn.govt.nz/districtplanreview.

It’s expected the Proposed District Plan will be

District Plan Review consultation now closed.

Initial public consultation on key draft changes to the current Selwyn District Plan closed on Monday 8 October 2018. Thank you to everyone who let us know what they thought of the review so far.

What’s next?

Following this initial public consultation on the District Plan Review, the Council will consider all feedback and start developing detailed provisions for the Proposed District Plan. Please note that a summary report on the initial public consultation will be made available on Your Say Selwyn website at www.selwyn.govt.nz/districtplanreview.

It’s expected the Proposed District Plan will be notified in early 2020 for formal public consultation. The longer timeframe is due to the local government elections at the end of 2019 and ensuring the newly elected Council endorses the Proposed District Plan before it gets notified.


We want to know what you think about the draft changes that affect family flats related rules and policies in the current District Plan. The draft changes have been endorsed by the Selwyn District Council for further development as part of its District Plan Review.

How can I have a say?

To give us your feedback on the draft changes , you can:

There will be many consultation opportunities for feedback at different stages of the District Plan Review and this is the first such opportunity. It’s expected that the new District Plan will be notified in early 2020 and be fully in place, subject to any Environment Court appeals, in March 2022.

Background

Family flats in the current Selwyn District Plan

Family flats, also called granny flats, can take different formats, from being attached to the main dwelling to being a completely standalone house on the same property as the main dwelling.


A family flat under the current District Plan is a dwelling up to 70m2, excluding garaging, which is located on the same site as the main dwelling and is occupied by a member of the same immediate family that lives in the main dwelling.

Currently a family flat can be built in all residential and rural zones of the district without a resource consent, as long as it meets certain standards. Between 2013 and 2017, 116 building consent for family flats were lodged. Since 2010, 105 resource consent applications for family flats were required. Of the resource consents, 66 were non-complying applications, which were granted, subject to certain conditions.


  • Key draft changes for the future District Plan

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    The Council’s District Plan Committee has endorsed the following key draft changes for further development:

    • Amending the definition of family flat to make it clear it’s a minor residential unit which needs to be held in the same ownership as the main dwelling and is associated with the main dwelling.
    • Removing the requirement that only family members can live in a family flat. As result there would be no limit on who may occupy the flat.
    • Developing new standards which a minor residential unit needs to comply with, if it’s to be allowed without a resource consent:
    1. Only one minor residential unit per site is permitted.
    2. Limit the maximum floor area, excluding garaging, based on the zone (not district-wide as at present).
    3. Minor residential unit needs to be located within a certain distance of the main dwelling.
    4. Additional car parking and open space is provided for the unit.
    5. Unit uses the same accessway as the main dwelling.
    6. Maximum height is single storey.
    • Reinforcing that the unit will still need to comply with the boundary setback and site coverage rules applicable to the zone.
    • Subdividing a minor residential unit from the main building becomes a non-complying activity unless it complies with the density requirements.

  • Summary of key issues with the current District Plan

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    As a result of the review of current policies and rules specific to family flats, we’ve identified the following issues with the current District Plan:
    • Potentially confusing rules around how many family flats can be set up on a property without a resource consent although the usual building consent is still required.
    • Scale of development – permitted flats can be 70m2 in size, but where resource consent has been applied for, family flats have tended to be bigger, on average 90m2 (particularly in the Rural Zone).
    • Potential impact on the look and feel of the area, particularly in the Rural Zone where the family flat can be established some distance from the main dwelling.
    • Current rules don’t give a range of housing choice for an increasingly diverse population.
    • Difficult to enforce the occupancy restriction.