Key draft changes for the future District Plan

When considering rules and policies for rural density, a key factor is that primary production needs to be given a higher priority in the rural areas and ensure that it’s not compromised by inappropriate housing development. As a result the draft changes aim to protect the existing character of the rural environment and primary production by either:

• keeping the density for an area the same, or
• changing the density, where the current density is too high for an area which isn’t as developed, and ensuring that new housing developments are spread out and the rural character is maintained.

The Council’s District Plan Committee has endorsed the following key draft changes for further development (see below table for more detail and how draft changes could affect different areas within the district. It’s important to note that further work needs to be done to refine these draft changes, including getting feedback during the public consultation).