Zoning
Guide to zoning |
Residential activity zones |
Draft changes to Residential 2 |
Review of Residential 1 and 2 zones |
Business activity zones |
Open space and recreation activity zones |
Special purpose activity zones
Review of Residential 1 and 2 zones
The feedback period on draft changes to Residential 2 has closed.
Click here for more information.
General information
We have adopted new planning rules which offer greater protection for the
city's character suburbs.
The new rules introduce tighter controls for the demolition or removal of
pre-1940s homes in residential 1 and 2 zones, which include parts of Ponsonby,
Mt Eden and Remuera.
The rules also introduce enhanced architectural guidelines to ensure new houses
built in these areas use designs and materials that are sympathetic with the
character of these suburbs.
The council decision follows a hearings panel recommendation that plan change
163 be adopted with some modifications. Many of the changes are intended to make the plan change easier to understand
and include more diagrams and better explanations of the rules.
They also recommended that the council consider the following steps:
- encouraging people to refurbish properties rather than building new
- improvements to the process for dealing with residential 1 and 2 applications
- further training and staff resourcing to handle applications.
Check proposed
plan change 163 for details and site specific information.
The character zones
The residential 1 zone is intended to protect the built historic character of
Auckland's early established residential neighbourhoods. Promoting the survival
of the historic form of these neighbourhoods is the primary objective of this
zone. The zone includes large portions of Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay, St
Mary's Bay, Freemans Bay, and Mt Eden, with smaller pockets in Ellerslie,
Onehunga, Parnell, Avondale and Otahuhu. These areas are dominated by a large
number of villas and bungalows which contribute to their valued special
character.
The residential 2 zone is intended to protect the spacious and tree-filled
qualities of sites characterised by generously sized lots, wide roads and lower
densities often with period housing. The residential 2 special character zones
can be found primarily in Mt Albert, Herne Bay, Epsom, One Tree Hill, Parnell,
Remuera, Kohimarama, and St Heliers. Smaller areas of residential 2 can be found
elsewhere in the city.
The locations of the residential 1 and 2 zones throughout the city are shown
on the following map. To confirm the zone of a specific property you need to
check the district plan
maps.
 |
Click on the map image to view an overview map of the residential 1 and
2 zones in pdf format 
(1Mb)If you do not already have the free Acrobat Reader software you will
need to download it from the
Adobe website before you can view the map |
Summary of the plan change
Plan change 163 introduces new
provisions to the residential 1 and 2 zones, including:
- that the demolition or the removal of any building constructed prior to 1940 in
the residential 1 and 2 zones will require a resource consent as a restricted
discretionary activity
- that external additions or alterations to existing buildings and all new and
relocated buildings in the residential 1 and 2 zones will require a resource
consent as a restricted discretionary activity
- that new and/or revised assessment criteria will apply for external additions
and alterations, new and relocated buildings, and the demolition or removal of
any building constructed prior to 1940
- that new and/or revised objectives and policies will apply for the residential 1
and 2 zones
- that a new appendix on architectural design guidelines for the
residential zone 1 be introduced
- that the front yard landscaping development control for the residential 1
and 2 zones be reduced from 60 per cent to 50 per cent
- that a new 3m plus 45 degrees building in relation to boundary development
control be applied to the longer road frontage boundary of any corner site in
the residential 1 zone
- that a new development control in front yards in relation to the fence/wall
height in the residential 2 zone be introduced. Maximum permitted height is 1.4m
but this can be increased to 1.8m in height if 40 per cent of the entire
structure is visually permeable
- that a change to the fencing provision of 1.2m in the residential 1 zone from
restricted controlled activity to restricted discretionary development control
be introduced.
Key changes to the plan change introduced by the hearings panel include:
- a change of activity status for development control modification for rule
7.8.1.15 fences, walls and other structures, from discretionary activity to
restricted discretionary and changes to the assessment criteria for this
activity
- removal of the need to publicly notify applications for demolition or obtain
the written approval of or serve notice on affected persons except as provided
for by section 94(c) of the Resource Management Act 1991
- altered and additional assessment criteria for demolition and inclusion of a 30
per cent by volume threshold for demolition
- changes to the assessment criteria for alterations and additions and new
buildings in the residential 1 and 2 zones and changes to the landscaping
provisions for the front yard of sites in the residential 1 zone.
Reviewed July 2008
