Design guides, codes of practice and other external documents
Structure plans take a focussed approach to the management of a specific area of land within tightly defined objectives based around the aspirations and expectations of stakeholders. To achieve these objectives may require a high level of specificity and detail (beyond that which may normally be seen in a district plan for example) to manage such things as the design and layout of land-uses, activities or sites in the structure-planned area.
If the level of detail is great it may be best set out in supporting codes of practice and guidelines, so that the main structure plan document does not become cluttered. An example of design guidelines associated with a structure plan for a new greenfield industrial area are those for the North-East Industrial Area, Palmerston North City Council. See the Palmerston North City Council District Plan.
Accompanying the structure plan may be urban design guidelines setting out how specific sites noted in the structure plan should be developed, or how particular types of development should be designed and located.
A range of technical, infrastructural features may also need to be defined, such as the design of roads (carriageway widths, provision of cycle lanes and the like), and how wastewater and stormwater should be managed within the structure plan area.
Many structure plans services provisions are based on the Council Code of Practice for the core services. In addition the proposed storm water management systems are based on a Management Plan which may form the basis of the discharge consents from the Regional Council
Where structure plans are incorporated into District Plans, then care needs to be taken in the use of supporting guides and documents. The District Plan needs to make it clear whether such guides have a statutory or non-statutory role. If the role is statutory then the guides' use needs to be justified (through section 32 processes and documentation) and demonstrated to have been developed via the appropriate preparation and consultation processes.
