Considering starting a new home business?

The Proposed District Plan includes some new proposed rules that may affect people starting a new business from home.

Under the proposed plan running a business from home continues to be a permitted activity in both rural and residential areas, but some rules around when you may need a resource consent are proposed to change.

The main change is around the size your business premises can be before you need to apply for a resource consent. New home businesses will not need a resource consent if there are no more than two staff who live off-site and the maximum floor area used for the business is under 100m2 in a rural zone, or 40m2 if you’re in a residential zone.

In residentially-zoned areas, the proposed rules would mean business activity involving customer visits and/or deliveries, could only occur between 7.30am–7pm and all business goods would need to be stored indoors. In the current District Plan business activity involving visits by customers and clients, is limited to between 7am–10pm on any day.

In rurally-zoned areas, business activity involving customer visits and/or deliveries, could occur between 7am–7pm. In the current District Plan there are no limits on hours of the operation in the Rural Zone.

The changes being proposed are aimed at ensuring that home businesses don’t potentially adversely affect the look and feel of residential or rural areas. The changes are also aimed at striking a better balance between making it easy to set up a home business and encouraging bigger businesses to locate in the district’s commercial and business centres.

It is important to note that these changes would only apply to those starting a new home business and will not have effect until the proposed plan is operational, which is expected to happen by the end of 2022. If you currently run a business from home, you will not be affected by the proposed change of rules.

Anyone interested in finding out more about how the proposed changes to starting a new home business affect them please contact the Council by calling 0800 SELWYN (735 996) or emailing contactus@selwyn.govt.nz. You can make a submission until 5pm Friday 11 December.