Residential matter: Housing development in the residential zones

The Council’s District Plan Committee has endorsed the following draft changes for further development, which we’re now consulting on:

• Simplifying the residential zone framework by reducing the current number of residential zones down to four. This will makeit much easier for people to understand and apply for consents. It will also follow the likely national planning standards which are currently being developed by the Ministry for the Environment. Each of these four new zones would have new policies and outcomes while managing any adverse effects on the character and amenity of the residential zone.
• The four draft residential zones, based on residential density and activities that take place in the zone, would be:

1. Medium Density Residential Zone – enables medium density residential development around key activity centres in Rolleston, Lincoln, Darfield and Leeston, and neighbourhood centres in Rolleston and Lincoln. In this zone we would encourage medium density types of housing of up to three storeys which would maintain an urban residential character.
2. General Residential Zone – enables low density residential neighbourhoods within established townships next to the Medium Density Residential Zone or local centres in smaller townships. In this zone we would see low density types of housing of up to two storeys which would maintain a suburban residential character.
3. Large Lot Residential Zone – would be located between the General Residential Zone and the boundary of the township or boundary with a rural zone. This zone would enable low density residential neighbourhoods characterised by ‘lifestyle’ properties.
4. Settlement Zone – would apply to townships with no business zones. This zone would enable low density residential development and a mix of commercial, light industrial and community activities which support a small settlement and surrounding rural area.
   

• Creating new rules which would make it easier to build a more diverse housing stock and encourage more comprehensive medium housing density. For example, allowing multiple principal dwellings on the same property (conditional on the land size), enabling small dwellings such as ‘granny flats’ to be occupied by not just family members (this would increase housing choice and rental options), relaxing certain development standards for new houses (eg increase site coverage and height).
• Tailoring development standards by each housing type, ie for detached dwellings, semi-detached, duplex, terrace/row dwellings and low rise apartments, ie up to three storeys high.
• Developing new definitions for retirement villages, supported accommodation and boarding houses.
• Making alternative types of housing a restricted discretionary activity within residential zones, subject to appropriate standards, such as traffic, car parking, hours of operation and scale, location and height of the building.
  

As a result of the review of current policies and rules specific to housing development in the residential zones, we’ve identified the following issues with the current District Plan:

• Rules and polices for residential zones are considered to be unwieldy to interpret and administer due to the large number of Living Zones and generic policy framework.
• The district doesn’t have a diverse range of housing choices.
• The current District Plan doesn’t accommodate the district’s projected growth in population and expected change in demographics (ageing population and predominately one- and two-person households).
• There are no specific provisions that address alternative housing, in particular how and where alternative housing can and should be provided for within the district.
• Permitted standards for traditional housing developments don’t work for alternative types of housing, for example different requirements regarding outdoor spaces, car parking, density-related standards and traffic generation.
• Lack of certainty for developers due to current non-complying activity status of an alternative housing development.