Auckland Unitary Plan - Subdividable lots becoming Unsubdividable?

[Toye]

I was just looking through this article in the NZ Herald (for some reason I'm not allowed to link) and noticed that the lots marked as "single house" (32%) have to have a minimum land size of 600 sqm per household.

We happen to own a house that falls into this single house zone and have approx 1050 sqm of land which we hoped to subdivide. Now I know this land is subdividable because our neighbour did this years ago with a similar piece of land. Now correct me if I am wrong but my understanding that our subdividable piece of land won't be subdividable once the unitary plan kicks in??? Isn't this the exact opposite of what we are trying to do in Auckland?!

[elguapo]

It depends on what you believe 'we' are trying to do in Auckland! Anyone who thought the unitary plan was going to do anything other than make the existing situation worse is quite misguided IMO.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11204963

[PC]

Fantastic if you live in such a zone.
All this infill housing is bad news for quality of life.

Keep those nasty apartment blocks out of our 'burbs.

[PTILoveYou]

I was just looking through this article in the NZ Herald (for some reason I'm not allowed to link) and noticed that the lots marked as "single house" (32%) have to have a minimum land size of 600 sqm per household.

We happen to own a house that falls into this single house zone and have approx 1050 sqm of land which we hoped to subdivide. Now I know this land is subdividable because our neighbour did this years ago with a similar piece of land. Now correct me if I am wrong but my understanding that our subdividable piece of land won't be subdividable once the unitary plan kicks in??? Isn't this the exact opposite of what we are trying to do in Auckland?!

You should talk to a planner at council and see what the before and after changes will be.

Some places will have more opportunities to subdivide, some will have less, but this is very location specific.

[AMR]

Yep been seeing a lot of large sections advertised with "subdivision potential", but on further enquiry they have been zoned single zone and will lose this potential later on...hence the urgency to sell.

If you turn on the flood plains layer on the unitary plan GIS, you'll see that the distribution of single zones is pretty much in line with the flood plains.

[donna]

I read this...

The current proposed Unitary Plan, approved a month before last October's council elections, imposes a minimum of at least 200sq m of land per dwelling

source

It said that was for 'mixed housing' suburban and single house was 600 sq m. So I guess it means if you were putting in townhouses each had to occupy 200 sq m. But if you're putting in one dwelling then it needs 600 sq m. - why would a single house need 3 times the land of a townhouse?

Maybe you bowl your house and put in 5 townhouses?

cheers,

Donna

[mrsaneperson]

I have a 6 bedroom home & a 2 bedroom unit all on a corner site, both physically separate & each has its own drive and clearly marked outside space.None of which is shared .The land area is around 600M squared. I would very much like to sell off the 6 bedroom & keep the 2 bedroom, but as far as im aware sub division is not permissible. Its a shame really especially because being on a corner site makes sub division very do-able. But council have their rules.

[Bluekiwi]

You should talk to a planner at council and see what the before and after changes will be.

Some places will have more opportunities to subdivide, some will have less, but this is very location specific.

Talk to your town planner by all means but you will have problems, as:
1. The average planner is an office boy pulling out rules and regulations and wouldnt have a clue and point you towards getting a subdivision expert to confirm that they think.
2. They only know about current plan and have no idea about the Unitary Plan - but the Unitary plan help desk do so you should see them.
3. Council are in denial or else very aware that due to legal proceedings the new plan may or may not come into affect and will be changed over the next 3 to whenever years. Even the subdivision consultants have no idea on when the cut off between new and old will be, or what the rules will be, or how the new rules will be applied until real live test cases happen.
4. Yes i also see lots of sites now being sold off as under the new plan (The Notified Proposed plan that will be changed over the next 3 or more years), they will not be any good for subdividing but you still have 3 years - maybe ? And I thought that the single house lot was 500m2 and not 600m2 ?