B.8 Subdivision and Development Issues
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B.8 SUBDIVISION AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES B.8 SUBDIVISION AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES B.8.1 General Subdivision and consequent development has a significant effect on the character of the district. Subdivision design and density is a significant factor determining the availability of resources for activities and the character of urban form. It also creates expectations by landowners that they can further develop their land and utilise services and community resources. The approach taken in the District Plan regarding subdivision and development must be seen in the context of the response to urban growth arising from the Strategic Plan and the consequences of long-term planning options. B.8.2 Urban Growth The district has an abundance of land zoned for residential, commercial and industrial development. In producing the District Plan, Council gave consideration to various options with regard to growth, varying from introducing a moratorium on development to increasing the existing residentially zoned areas to accommodate as much growth as possible. Council decided to retain essentially the same area of land zoned residential as is currently in the Transitional District Plan. This approach enables growth to continue for at least the next fifteen years, but for Council to review the situation ten years hence. An important part of the strategy adopted by Council is the creation of green belts within and between existing communities. Future growth is to be based on Raumati, Paraparaumu, Waikanae and Otaki, with Paekakariki to be retained as a unique village centre. Also the settlements of Te Horo and Peka Peka are expected to retain their special characteristics. Further subdivision of Te Horo Beach beyond the urban area is not envisaged. Any further subdivision at Peka Peka will be of a low density due to the unavailability of Council services and also the desirability of retaining the existing character of this area. B.8.3 Significant Issues The significant resource management issues that have emerged relate to subdivision and development in residential and rural environments. The focus of the issues is different in these two areas. The cumulative effects of subdivision and development on the service infrastructure are also an important issue in respect of all environments of the district. The effects of subdivision and development of and on the transport infrastructure are also significant (refer B.19). The appropriate design of subdivision and development can ensure that the transport and service infrastructure (where appropriate) is provided in an efficient manner and enables convenient and environmentally safe usage by residents and businesses. The effects of subdivision and development in residential areas relate primarily to the landscape and amenity values of the built environment, and impacts on the service infrastructure. The significant effects are more in terms of the attractiveness and convenience of the areas as a living space. Effects KAPITI COAST DISTRICT COUNCIL B - 20 DISTRICT PLAN Map 18 Districtwide and Urban Plan Zones ^,115CELl. ANF 0% IE Scale 1.30,0001 A3 NORTH Map 18 Districtwide and Urban Plan Features LEGEND C.2: RURAL ZONE C.2 RURAL ZONE The rural environment as a whole comprises the bulk of the district. The Rural Zone together with the Conservation Zone which is rural in nature and location contain over 90% of the land area of the district. Less than 10 % of the population of the district live in the Rural Zone. The built environment is dominated by the character and scale of the natural landscape. The values of the natural landscape and ecological processes are at the forefront of many resource management issues. The environmental effects of activities tend to be more indirect and subtle in rural areas because of the scale of the environment affected. Consequently there is concern more with the cumulative long-term effects of activity than the immediate impacts on the environment. These effects can be managed through the District Plan by controls on the scale and intensity of land use activities and recognition of the character and values of the natural environment. The objectives and policies set out below in C.2.1 are intended to address the significant resource management issues identified in B.3. The related subdivision and development issues in B.8 are addressed in C.7. C.2.1 Objectives & Policies OBJECTIVE 1.0 -GENERAL ENSURE THAT ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ACTIVITIES ON THE NATURAL AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF RURAL AREAS AND OF RURAL BASED ACTIVITIES BEYOND THIS ENVIRONMENT ARE AVOIDED, REMEDIED OR MITIGATED WITH PARTICULAR REGARD TO SUSTAINING THE LIFE SUPPORTING CAPACITY OF THE RESOURCES OF THE LAND TO MEET THE NEEDS OF FUTURE GENERATIONS. The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) requires Council to promote the sustainable management of the district's natural and physical resources. Sustainable management means managing rural activities so that they both meet peoples social, economic and cultural needs and the adverse effects on the environment are avoided, remedied or mitigated. This requires a balanced approach so that both requirements can be met. The qualities of the Kapiti Coast District's rural environment have encouraged a diversity of activities with varying impacts on the environment. While they are interrelated, the environmental effects, for example, of horticultural land use are distinct from the effects of quarries and forestry operations. The effects can also vary greatly in scale between and for particular activities. For example, the effects of lifestyle developments can range from the immediate visual impacts of one dwelling to the cumulative impact of many such buildings on a larger KAPITI COAST DISTRICT COUNCIL C2 -1 DISTRICT PLAN C.2: RURAL ZONE scale on the landscape and associated open space values. A single horticultural enterprise can have impacts on a neighbouring residence through spray drift of hazardous chemicals. A large number of horticultural units together can have adverse impacts on the groundwater resource of an area. The environmental effects of some rural activities are interrelated to and are inseparable from issues of conflicting land resource requirements for other activities. The development of non-productive land uses, such as dwellings on land with good soils can result in this finite resource being reduced or damaged or unavailable to meet the foreseeable economic needs of future generations of the District's communities. To achieve this objective , Council will implement the following policies ( refer to C.7.2): POLICY 1(A) - NATURAL ENVIRONMENT - IDENTIFICATION AND PROTECTION Identify and protect areas of significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna. The number of areas of significant indigenous vegetation and habitats is small. This is largely due to past practices of clear felling of forest, land drainage and conversion to pasture. Many of these trees and habitats are still subject to damage by grazing of animals and what remains are mature trees which are not being replaced by new growth. It is therefore very important to protect and enhance the remaining significant indigenous vegetation and habitats. POLICY 1(B) - NATURAL ENVIRONMENT - USE AND DEVELOPMENT Ensure the adverse effects of rural use and development on the natural environment are avoided , remedied or mitigated. Activities in the rural zone can generate adverse effects on the natural environment. Maintaining the life-supporting capacity of ecosystems in the environment extends beyond protecting a few special ecosystems. Ecosystems and ecological processes encompass the whole district. The Council shall take account of the need to maintain the integrity of ecosystems for their intrinsic value, and for their contribution to the natural character in the zone. Standards have been imposed to control the effects of activities on natural and ecological resources. These standards apply to such matters as earthworks, the removal of native vegetation, controlling the location of activities on site, and hazardous substances. Reserves, buffer zones and riparian strips may also be used to preserve and enhance ecological integrity. KAPITI COAST DISTRICT COUNCIL C2 - 2 DISTRICT PLAN C.2: RURAL ZONE POLICY 2 - OUTSTANDING LANDSCAPES Maintain, enhance and protect the district's outstanding landscapes in the Rural Zone from inappropriate subdivision , use and development. The district's rural landscape is an important element of character of the Kapiti Coast. The rural landscape contributes to people's appreciation of the area and the quality of life experienced by both rural and town dwellers. The Kapiti Coast has a number of areas of landscape value which could be at risk from inappropriate subdivision, use and development, in particular from obtrusive building development. This needs to be controlled to protect the landscapes (Refer to Part C.10 landscapes for list of outstanding landscapes and the Planning Maps). POLICY 3 - PRODUCTION FORESTRY Control production forestry to avoid , remedy or mitigate any adverse effects on the environment. Forestry, particularly felling, can have adverse effects on the environment. This includes siltation of watercourses and damage to roads and damage to Amended archaeological sites resulting from large scale earthworks. One way to reduce Change 64(C) or avoid these adverse effects is for foresters to have regard to the New 9/5/11 Zealand Environmental Code of Practice for Plantation Forestry in undertaking development. This code outlines