Albany structure plan
Location and local authority
The Albany structure plan deals with land within the Albany Basin, which is within the jurisdiction of North Shore City Council. The structure plan area is largely greenfield land and lies on the edge of residential suburbs adjacent to North Shore City's northern boundary with Rodney District. It comprises of a total of 400 hectares and until the mid-1990s was largely rural in character with only isolated pockets of development. To the east lies the largely developed seaside suburbs of East Coast Bays; to the south, the residential and business areas in the vicinity of Rosedale Road; to the west, the planned sub-regional centre of Albany and the Massey University campus; and, to the north rural land within Rodney District.
The structure plan area is defined by Lonely Track Road to the north, East Coast Road to the east, Spencer Road to the south and the designated alignment of the Northern Motorway extension, and generally by the alignments of Oteha Valley Road and Gills Road to the west.
Figure 2 Albany structure plan area
Design detail
Structure plan process
Section 17 of the North Shore District Plan (the District Plan) deals with land which is intended to accommodate future urban expansion on the North Shore and includes land which is within the Residential Expansion zone.
In conformity with the requirements of section 17.5 Methods: Structure plans of the North Shore City District Plan, a structure plan was prepared for the Albany area for the purposes of the urban expansion of the North Shore. Section 17.5 provides a framework within which the preparation of a structure plan can be achieved. This framework includes consultation requirements, requirements for the contents of the structure plan, and design principles.
A land analysis background report was undertaken in 1995 as the first stage in the preparation of the Albany structure plan, in accordance with section 17.5.4 of the District Plan. This report provided information on the existing topography, natural environment, landscape, heritage, culture, social and economic profile and utility services of the area. It outlines the opportunities and constraints of the study area and identifies a number of objectives for the structure planning process which are detailed below.
- To undertake a comprehensive public consultation programme as part of the process.
Council intended to achieve its objectives through a two tier planning process involving the incorporation of the structure plan and neighbourhood unit plans into the District Plan.
The land analysis background report was used as the basis for a broad programme of public consultation, and for preparing objectives and policies to guide the management of urbanisation. The objectives and policies provide a development concept for the area forming the basis of the structure plan and the zoning provisions relating to subdivision and development. Identified below are the specific issues which the objectives and policies address.
Sedimentation and water quality
The extent of earthworks is to be minimised where possible and the retention of existing vegetation is encouraged. Any subdivision is required to indicate the extent and nature of any proposed earthworks and to ensure that any watercourses are protected from adverse, short-term sedimentation effects.
Landscape protection
Significant landscape elements are to be protected from the effects of urbanisation in order to contribute to the identity and amenity of new suburbs. At the subdivision stage a detailed landscape assessment may be required prior to subdivision in order to ascertain the optimal location of roads and reserves in order to retain significant landscape elements.
Residential development
In terms of residential development the Albany structure plan area has a number of advantages in that it is situated close to the growing employment base of the Albany Basin, adjacent to the Northern Motorway and Albany Centre, and close to the Massey University Campus. North Shore City Council recognise that the need to maximise the household capacity must be balanced against the environmental constraints of the area e.g. topography and sedimentation, and that planning on the basis of a wide variation in densities is the appropriate response to these factors. The immediate demand for moderate sized lots could be met, with the potential for clustered high-density development to meet other sectors of the market in the medium term.
Design and mobility
The structure plan provided Council with an opportunity to indicate the preferred location of key routes through the structure plan area. However, it was recognised that all land may not be able to be subdivided immediately until access is provided to adjacent land. Therefore it is Council's responsibility to ensure that on subdivision all lots have provision made for vehicular access by way of conditions of consent.
Residential amenity
In order to ensure a high standard of residential amenity within the structure plan area it is considered by Council that a comprehensive plan for existing and/or proposed roads should be prepared on subdivision. The structure plan zone rules and assessment criteria also address residential amenity with regard to the visibility of front doors from different viewpoints and the discouragement of the location of pedestrian and cycle pathways along rear and side yards.
Reserves
The overall approach to reserve land in the structure plan is that areas of open space which need to be protected lying within moderate to higher density areas should generally be reserve areas while areas of open space which require protection in low density areas would be protected by private covenant.
Land use mix
The structure plan zone is applicable to all land within the Residential Expansion zone. This structure plan zone has a number of areas, these are identified below.
Structure plan zone areas - land use and subdivision requirements
Area |
Minimum site size |
|---|---|
Area A: Environmental Protection |
1 hectare |
Area B: Large Lot Residential |
4,000m2 |
Area C: Standard Residential |
500m2 |
Area D: Varied Residential |
500m2 150m2 - 499m2(Max. site area) Individual lots must be grouped together to form a total minimum legal area of 1,500m2. |
Area MX: Mixed use overlay area |
150m2 - Individual lots must be grouped together for development purposes to form a total minimum legal area of 600m2 - Any subdivision proposed for land with mixed use zoning shall avoid the creation of lots with a split zoning, by coinciding lot boundaries with zone boundaries. |
Subdivision standards and assessment criteria for the structure plan zone and the above areas are contained in Section 9: Subdivision and Development of the District Plan. The purpose of grouping the individual lots in the Varied Residential and mixed use overlay zones is to ensure that higher density development is designed comprehensively.
Within the zoning framework where open space land is intended as reserve land in public ownership an appropriate recreational zoning will eventually be adopted for the land. With regard to community focal points it is anticipated that a Business Local 1 zone will be necessary to accommodate commercial activities.
Two mixed use overlay area zones are provided for within the structure plan area. These are similar to the Business Local 1 zone with the exception of providing for a mix of uses which include residential development. This zone provides an opportunity for the location of small retail or other businesses located close to residential and community activities to establish and serve as central areas. The overlay areas front the intersections of two key routes some of which were yet to be built at the time of drafting of the structure plan.
The objectives, policies and broad zoning framework of the structure plan were intended to be supported by neighbourhood unit plans. These plans were to be the second stage in the structure plan process which would provide a detailed framework for subdivision and development at a local level. These plans include the identification of reserve land, key routes and road improvements. Eight neighbourhood unit plans were undertaken for specific areas by the Council however, as a result of a consent order, the requirement for the preparation of neighbourhood unit plans was deleted from Section 17: Urban Expansion of the District Plan. Consequently, the areas without a neighbourhood unit plan must refer to the broader guidelines of the structure plan requirements.
Public consultation
From the outset North Shore City Council recognised the need to facilitate a flow of information from the Council outwards in order to generate constructive debate and to reveal the steps in the decision-making process, and from the community inwards in order to identify the values and views of individual groups within the community. In accordance with Section 17.5.3 Consultation of the North Shore City District Plan and in addition to Clause 3 of the First Schedule of the Resource Management Act 1991, prior to adopting the structure plan and publicly notifying the Plan Change the following parties were consulted:
- Interested government departments.
Prior to the drafting of the structure plan, and during the structure plan process, consultation undertaken involved mail-outs, public meetings, and the establishment of focus groups and workshops. This consultation generated debate on alternatives and possible modifications, ultimately resulting in the public notification of a variation to, what was at the time, the Proposed North Shore City District Plan and the opportunity for public submissions.
Statutory process
The Proposed North Shore City District Plan was notified in 1994 and provided for the structure planning approach detailed above. Section 17: Urban Expansion outlines the implementation process for urban expansion which includes the preparation of a structure plan. The Proposed District Plan was modified by way of Variation No. 8 to incorporate Section 17A: structure plans into the Proposed North Shore City District Plan.
Lessons learnt
According to North Shore City Council a number of lessons have been learnt with regard to the structure plan process and its implementation, two of which are identified below. In recognising these lessons it has been possible for North Shore City Council to address some of these issues in the preparation of the Long Bay structure plan and in Proposed Plan Change 1: Intensive Residential Development to the North Shore City District Plan. Both of these documents are discussed below.
Structure plan process
The exclusion of the requirement for the preparation of neighbourhood unit plans in the two tier planning process has meant that Council and developers must rely on the broad guidance provided by the structure plan standards and rules, with little detailed design guidelines for subdivision and development. According to North Shore City Council this has resulted in difficulties planning key routes and road reserves, and in the designation of open space and recreation reserves.
Staging of development
The Albany structure plan does not provide for the staging of development and as a result, according to North Shore City Council, there has been little co-ordination between subdivision, development and the provision of infrastructure. This has particularly influenced the provision of roads, services and community focal points/commercial nodes within the structure plan area. There has been little community/commercial development within the area with a resultant lack of local services for new residential development. To date one Business Local 1 zoned proposal has been developed at Oteha Valley Road, and one proposal within a mixed use overlay zone is awaiting resource consent.
Long Bay structure plan
The Long Bay structure plan is the most recent structure plan to be undertaken by Council. The general process is similar to that undertaken with the Albany structure plan, however the lessons learnt from Albany highlight the key advancements made by North Shore City Council in the structure plan process.
The Long Bay area is zoned for residential expansion within the District Plan. As stage one of a two-stage process, a variation to the Proposed North Shore City District Plan was undertaken in 2001 which set out the general objectives and policies for the area and also introduced a land use strategy for the Long Bay area to be used in guiding the detailed preparation of the structure plan. This Variation No. 64 also recognised the need to manage the timing of development so that it is co-ordinated with Council's wider infrastructure planning programme. It includes a Section 32 report which assesses the alternatives, benefits and costs of the variation. A summary of the main provisions of the land use strategy are outlined below.
Land use strategy
Area |
Structure plan provision |
|---|---|
Stormwater management area |
Applicable to streams and watercourses outside of the Landscape Protection (Long Bay) zone |
Stormwater treatment and buffer area |
To provide for ‘engineered’ stormwater and treatment |
Principle reserves and open spaces |
To provide for active and passive recreation and continuity and linkages |
Landscape protection (Long Bay) |
Development to be avoided in this area |
Large lot residential (Park Back Drop) |
To protect the rural backdrop to the Regional Park |
Ridgeline protection corridor |
To maintain natural character of Vaughans Road |
Large lot residential (5,000m2) |
1 unit per 5,000m2 |
Large lot residential (2,500m2) |
1 unit per 2,500m2 |
Suburban neighbourhood |
1 unit per 600-700m2 |
Urban neighbourhood |
Min. density of 1 unit per 300m2 |
Urban village |
Min. density of 1 unit per 150m2 |
Village centre |
To provide for small shops and service activities for the new community. |
Stage two of the Long Bay structure plan involves Proposed Variation 66 and Plan Change 6 to the District Plan and it sets out the detailed objectives, policies and rules relating to subdivision and development, which incorporate integrated and sustainable development, natural environment, landscape, urban form and design, and staging, infrastructure and development contributions. The provision of principal infrastructure and its indicative timing has been identified. The location of preferred roads and reserves are also identified. For more information, see the District Plan Plan Change 6 Decision Notice (PDF 844KB) and Text Resulting From Decisions On Submissions (PDF 684KB).
Proposed plan change 1: Intensive residential development
In order to address some of the lessons learnt from the Albany structure plan North Shore City Council have introduced Proposed Plan Change 1: Intensive Residential Development to the North Shore City District Plan. This addresses the requirement for better controls for the design and location of intensive residential developments and the changes include improving the way in which land is subdivided in the Albany and Long Bay structure plan zones.
In improving the way in which land is subdivided in the structure plan zones Council will require a concept plan to be submitted with any application for subdivision in order to give a clear picture of what eventually will be built. According to North Shore City Council conditions can then be set at the subdivision stage to ensure that later development of individual lots is consistent with the earlier subdivision intentions. It will also ensure that infrastructure, such as roads and services, can meet the demands of future development.
The Proposed Plan Change also requires the provision of visitor car parking on the road in new developments, the exercise of greater discretion for residential developments at a density of greater than 1 unit per 250m2 and for the improvement of the urban design code in the structure plans.
