Proposed Plan Change 6A

Proposed Plan Change 6A seeks to rezone 22ha of land on the northwest of Levin from Deferred Residential (Future Residential) to Residential. This land is one of Council’s identified urban growth areas – known as Levin North West 1 (LNW1). If approved, the rezoning will allow urban-scale subdivision to happen, enabling 400 to 500 dwellings on a range of section sizes, along with some scale neighbourhood retail activity and greenspace/reserve land.

Subdivision and development will be guided by a structure plan, which sets out key features such as roads and reserves.

Anyone can make a submission on proposed Plan Change 6A. There is more information on how to do this below.

What is a plan change?

A ‘plan change’ is the process for making changes to Council's District Plan. This process can be started by either the Council or by a private party. In this case, Proposed Plan Change 6A was proposed by a group of four private landowners (one of whom is Kāinga Ora) but Council adopted the Proposed Plan Change in October 2024, as it aligns with Council’s strategic plan, including the Horowhenua Growth Strategy.

The purpose of the District Plan is the sustainable management of natural and physical resources and to control the negative effects of development on the environment. Essentially, it outlines what people can do with their land. It does this through objectives, policies, and rules that specify which activities require Council approval. It also covers what the Council will consider when deciding whether or not to give approval.

Council is required to follow a formal process to make a plan change and this includes publicly notifying the proposed changes to the District Plan to give the community the opportunity to have their say (by making a submission).

Key facts about Proposed Plan Change 6A

LNW1 has been identified as an area for rezoning since the Horowhenua Development Plan in 2008. The area was rezoned from Rural to Residential Deferred (Future Residential) which became operative in 2014. The area was then reaffirmed as a growth area in the Horowhenua Growth Strategy 2040, which was prepared in 2018. The proposed re-zoning is the next step in the process to enable development to happen. If the rezoning is approved, housing will be built by both Kāinga Ora and private developers.

Summary of changes proposed

The below is a summary of the proposed objectives and policies which will guide development:

General

• Levin North West 1 will be a development that represents good urban design, is supported by a well-connected roading network and has the facilities, infrastructure, and amenities necessary to contribute to the health, safety, and wellbeing of residents.
• To ensure the above is achieved, all development must be consistent with the structure plan, or propose an alternative that will deliver similar or better outcomes.
• Recognise Māori heritage and values associated with the area through street and reserve naming.
• Levin North West 1 will be resilient and environmentally sustainable, by following water-sensitive design and managing and treating stormwater effectively.

Residential Activities

• Levin North West 1 will have a high amenity residential environment with a range of section sizes and housing types, including greater housing choice through more diverse dwelling typologies which will assist in improving housing affordability. These include standalone houses, duplexes, terraces, and ‘walk-up’ apartments.

Local Retail Activities

• Encourage the development of a sustainable and attractive small-scale local commercial neighbourhood centre that accommodates some compatible land use activities to service the day-to-day needs of the neighbourhood at a local scale, while protecting the vitality of the Levin Town Centre.
• Ensure the design, nature, and scale of commercial activities contribute positively to the image and overall amenity of Levin North West 1.

Open Space Activities

• To provide high-quality public open space that is accessible and can be used for a variety of purposes, including stormwater management.

The below is a summary of proposed changes to rules that will apply to development proposals:

• Introduce a Structure Plan to guide the location of key infrastructure such as roads and reserves.
• Minimum site area of 225m² per section, meaning both smaller and larger sections can be produced.
• Standards to control building setbacks, site coverage and building heights to balance how the development looks and feels, with enabling higher density housing.
• Stormwater to be managed through soak pits and rainwater tanks on private properties as well as swales, dry ponds (dual function as reserves) and reserves, and the street network.
• Limits on the maximum floor area of commercial activities, so that they are of scale that is appropriate in a residential environment.

What is the purpose of this plan change?

The Horowhenua District is predicted to experience a higher level of growth in the coming years.

Proposed Plan Change 6A aims to rezone an existing growth area to allow for residential and some small-scale local retail development. The proposed plan change seeks to deliver several key outcomes for development in the area, including:

• a connected and integrated future-proof development that represents good urban design;
• good variety of housing types;
• low impact, sustainable servicing solutions and encourages the use of sustainable transport options;
• facilities and open spaces that meet the needs of the community;
• a development that maintains and enhances the cultural, heritage, and ecological values of the area.

Who will be affected by this plan change?

Landowners within and around the plan change area will be impacted as the changes create different development opportunities for these properties. While not everyone will want to develop their land, property owners need to be aware that the proposed changes could result in different levels of development on their neighbour’s properties.

Furthermore, the general community may be interested in how the area develops, as the area will look very different in the future, they may wish to live there, or they may wish to visit the area to visit parks and reserves or other facilities.

Need more information?

Council will be holding two information sessions at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō in Levin – dates and times for these can be viewed under 'Lifecycle'.

Proposed Plan Change 6A documents are available for viewing online or in hard copy at the following locations (during usual opening hours):

• Horowhenua District Council office: 126 Oxford Street. Hours: 8.30am to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9.30am to 5pm Wednesday.
• Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō: 10 Bath Street, Levin. Hours: 9am to 5.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10am to 9pm on Wednesday, 10am to 3pm on Saturday.
• Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom: 92 Main Street, Foxton. Hours: 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm Saturday and Sunday.
• Shannon Library: Plimmer Terrace. Hours: 1pm to 5pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 12 noon Saturday (first Saturday of the month only).

If you have any questions about Proposed Plan Change 6A, you can email districtplan@horowhenua.govt.nz or call Council on (06) 366 0999 and ask to speak to a member of the Integrated Growth and Planning Team.

Privacy Statement

All submissions made are publicly available on our website and at Council service centres. Your personal details (including name and contact details) will be provided in their entirety to Elected Members and made available to the public at our office and on our website, unless submitters request that this information be kept private. We collect your contact information so we can keep you up to date with the proposal.

For more information, see our privacy statement on www.horowhenua.govt.nz/PrivacyStatement