Consent streamlined to encourage more housing
Horowhenua District Council has announced a new streamlined housing process (SHP) in the hopes it will make life easier for homeowners as well as developers to build new homes on underused land.
SHP streamlines the consent process for housing on to residential-zoned land in Levin, Foxton, Foxton Beach and Shannon and should reduce the cost and uncertainty involved in the resource consent process, according to David McCorkindale, the council’s group manager customer and strategy.
There is urgent need for more housing as the rapid growth that is occurring could lead to 62,000 inhabitants by 2041.
The new process doesn’t guarantee approval, but it should provide a smoother pathway to get consent approved.
“The information supporting the SHP will benefit applicants unfamiliar with the consent process or requirements,” McCorkindale said.
Council is holding meetings next week where you can find out more about this:
Tuesday, July 5, from 1pm to 4pm at Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 92 Main St, Foxton, and on Wednesday July 6, from 3pm to 6pm at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-po¯ , 10 Bath St, Levin.
Parts of the consenting process should be easier to understand and more straightforward to navigate.
There is a series of preferred
design approaches and ways to build more homes on sites (technical solutions for infill housing).
Non-notified resource consent approval may be possible for applications that follow the new design approaches.
Existing homes on larger sites may be subdivided into smaller units.
The SHP will focus on moderate to medium-density infill housing, one and two-storey buildings. In some cases — if neighbours agree — threestorey dwellings may be built.
The new process is described as ideal if you have a residential section to subdivide or if you’re a developer looking to redevelop a larger site.
Would-be investors who have equity and landowners that may have thought the process was too hard in the past or that their property didn’t have development potential are encouraged to learn more.
“Our ultimate goal is to help people build, buy and rent affordable housing in the district, and the SHP is another tool to help do that,” said CEO Monique Davidson.
This initiative currently only applies to residentialzoned land in Levin, Foxton, Foxton Beach and Shannon.
If the pilot is successful, it will inform future District Plan changes to formalise a broader range of residential opportunities.