From LDCA: We will be making a submission on the Draft Unitary Plan, in relation to the implications for Laingholm, and also Auckland as a whole.

This updated rulebook will replace district plans and define rules for property owners – about what can and can’t be done on your property. The plan has passed its pre-draft phase and is now in the draft stage with full public consultation in progress. Since pre-draft, the rules about fencing transparency have been removed, natural protection overlays have been simplified and overlay mapping accuracy was improved.

The final deadline for submissions is 28th of February 2014.

The draft is easy to read online with a tree menu of the sections.

This site has two other handy links:  PLANNING ENQUIRY can show all overlays and proposed rules that apply to a specific property.  MAPS opens the interactive map viewer where you can see proposed zoning and aerial photographs (use the transparency slider) of an entire area.

You can make a submission online using this form.

Collective Concerns

Pretty much all properties in Laingholm, Woodlands Park, Waima and Titirangi are zoned as “Large Lot”. The objectives of this zoning are defined under clause 2.D.1.2. There are a few specifics of concern for Large Lot zoning:

• According to clause 3.I.1.4.3. dwellings must be set back 10m from the front of the boundary, 6m from sides and rear and 10m from the edge of any streams. Some people commented that this is not realistic for many properties in Laingholm.
• Clause 3.I.1.4.5. limits building coverage to 10% of land area or 400m2, whichever is lesser. This is clearly designed for properties up to 1 acre, but Laingholm has a number of properties sized between 4 and 30 acres. Some of these properties have paddocks and existing large houses and would become prevented from adding a utility building like a shed.
• Clause 3.I.1.3.1. prohibits separate secondary dwellings regardless of land size. Clause 3.I.1.3.3. permits two dwellings that are inside the same house based on various criteria.

Some readers may also have feedback regarding Genetically Modified Organisms regulations under 3.H.4.19.

Home Business Concerns

Activity Table under 3.I.1.1. shows that:

• Offering any type of accommodation is a Non-Complying activity for Large Lot zones. Most other residential zone types have it as a Permitted, Discretionary or Restricted Discretionary activity. Activity types are defined under 3.G.1.2.
• Healthcare Facilities are a Non-Complying activity for Large Lot zones, while it is a Restricted Discretionary activity for all other residential zone types. This is a concern for natural healthcare practitioners who are working from home in our area.

Anyone who runs a business from home or plans to do so in the future should also have a look at section 3.I.1.3.2. – these eleven rules will apply to all types of residential zones.

Individual Concerns

Significant Ecological Area (SEA) overlay aims to restrict the clearing and pruning of trees. It seems to be a replacement for Natural Area overlays in the current district plan. It is a good idea to check the maps to make sure that SEA is mapped correctly on your property. Mapping errors may include incorrectly having SEA over parts of your lawn or paddock, or not having SEA over the patch of native bush on your land that you want to see protected.

If you have any notable individual specimen trees on your property that you want to be protected, especially if they are not covered by the SEA overlay, you can ask to have these significant trees specifically marked on the plan as Notable Trees.

If you notice anything else that is worth including in our submission, let us know using the “Leave a Reply” form at the bottom of this page.

PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF LAINGHOLM DISTRICT CITIZENS ASSOCIATION IN DEC 2013 ISSUE OF LAINGHOLM ROUNDABOUT.