Height In Relation To Boundaries

1 OPERATIVE VERSION APRIL 2003 District Plan: Height In Relation To Boundaries Page 1 of 4 Height In Relation To BoundariesThe Height in Relation to Boundary Rules aim to avoidbuildings on one site physically dominating anothersite. The Rules also seek to address the effects thatthe positioning of new buildings or additions toexisting buildings may have in reducing neighbouringbuildings access to daylight and effect of the Rule is that the taller the proposedbuilding is, the further away from the boundary it mustbe. This is to ensure that sunlight and daylightaccess is not reduced. This Rule does not meanthat there will be no loss of sunlight to the neighbours,but rather it is intended to ensure that an adequatestandard of daylight/sunlight is still Operative District Plan PolicyThe Operative District Plan addresses Height inrelation to boundary issues through Policy andthe District Plan Rules.

2 Policy states: Structures should be placed to ensure that adequatelevels of daylight reach any habitable rooms on site,and allow adequate levels of sunlight and daylight toreach adjacent properties throughout the year. The Height in Relation to Boundary RulesTo comply with the Height in Relation to BoundaryRule, a building should be designed to fit within a building envelope . To determine the buildingenvelope, Council looks at recession planes .Recession planes are lines that proceed at an anglefrom the horizontal, measured from any point above ground level along site angle of the recession plane varies according tothe compass orientation of the site boundary that it ismeasured from.

3 The proposed building must whollysit below this recession plane at all points along Where Is Ground Level ?Ground level is defined in the District Plan as ..thelevel of the ground existing when any authorised worksassociated with any subdivision of the land arecompleted, but before excavation for either any newstructure or new site works have commenced .It is important to accurately establish the ground levelat the boundary. This can be done either throughidentifying spot levels or contours. You will need torelate this ground level to the finished floor level for of TitleIt will be necessary to provide an up to date Certificateof Title for the property that you are seeking resourceconsent for.

4 The certificate will assist the Council toconfirm the compass orientation of each boundary, andtherefore which recession plane(s) will apply. This isparticularly important when the orientation ofboundaries is unclear, as the Certificate often includesthe compass orientation of all you do not provide a copy of the Certificate of Titlewith your resource consent application, you will berequested to provide one. The processing of yourapplication will be put on hold until the Certificate The Recession Plane Apply To Me?Recession Planes are only measured if the DistrictPlan Human Environment of the site that you arebuilding next to is identified in the Height in Relation toBoundary example, if you are building in the LivingEnvironment, the Height in Relation to Boundary Rulesapply if your neighbours properties are identified asLiving, Bush Living or as Waitakere Height in Relation to Boundary Rules do notapply where the boundary of any Environment joinsthe Community or Working Environments, or wherethe front boundary joins the Transport Environment( the road).

5 The building Height Rules may,however, Northernmost45 Eastern and Western35 Level BoundaryRecession Planes for Living, Open Space, RuralVillage, Coastal Village and Bush LivingEnvironmentsDistrict Plan Environment that joins the property that you are building onLivingOpenSpaceCountrySideFoothillsRur alVillagesCoastalVillagesBushLivingWaita kereRangesDistrict Plan Environmentthat you are building inLivingOpen SpaceCommunityWorkingRural VillageCoastal VillageBush Living 45 Northern, Eastern and Western 35 Level BoundaryRecession Planes for Community andWorking EnvironmentsAll diagrams used in this brochure are not to VERSION APRIL 2003 District Plan: Height In Relation To Boundaries Page 2 of 4 Find the Human Environment that your property is identified (zoned) as in the District Plan Maps.

6 Then identifythe Human Environment identification (zoning) of all of your neighbouring properties. Then look down the lefthand column in the table below. Once you have found the Human Environment that your property is identified as,look across the table to see if your neighbouring properties are listed. If they are, and there is a tick in the box,this means that the Height in Relation to Boundary Rules must be complied with by your Effect Of The Recession PlaneThe allowable building Height will vary as a result of: the ground level at the boundary; the building s distance from the boundary; and the application of the recession APRIL 2003 District Plan: Height In Relation To Boundaries Page 3 of 4(1)In the case of a gable end (the verticaltriangular end of a building ), up to one third ofthe gable Height may exceed the buildingenvelope.

7 (see diagram below)Gable End DiagramExceptions* To The Height In Relation ToBoundary Rules:*These three exeptions do not apply in theCommunity Working Environment.(2)(3)Shared Driveway DiagramThe Special Areas Where Height In Relation ToBoundary Rules ApplyThe Special Areas where these Rules apply are:Special Area Rule 3 Boating Special AreaSpecial Area Rule 5 Corbans Estate Special AreaSpecial Area Rule 8 Hospital Special AreaSpecial Area Rule 9 Lincoln Park Special AreaSpecial Area Rule 10 Marae Special AreaSpecial Area Rule 11 Marina Special AreaWorking Environment Rule 2 refers to the CollegeSpecial Asked QuestionsWhere do I measure the recession plane from?

8 Measure the recession plane from the site boundary,or from the opposite boundary of the shared drivewaythat serves a rear dwelling or pedestrian access way(if that situation applies to your application). You mayneed to measure from more than one point along yourboundary. Take the measurement from the closestpart of the building to the boundary this may be awall, or it may be an measurement needs to be taken from the originalground level, not, for example, from the top of aretaining wall or from the bottom of an excavated is to ensure that your measurement is accurate,and does not reduce your development refer to the definition of ground level on pageone of this the situation where a site boundary adjoins ashared driveway or pedestrian access way, thenthe recession plane measurement can be takenfrom the farthest boundary of the shareddriveway or the pedestrian access way.

9 In theLiving and Bush Living Environments, thisrespect of the Rule only applies where theshared driveway and the pedestrian access wayserves a rear dwelling. (see diagram below)Television aerials, chimneys and decorativefeatures that are no more than one metre in anyhorizontal direction may extend beyond thebuilding VERSION APRIL 2003 District Plan: Height In Relation To Boundaries Page 4 of 4 You should also ensure that your building dimensionsare correct and the building is accurately located onthe plans. You should establish where the largestinfringement of the recession plane occurs, andinclude this in the assessment of environmentaleffects that accompanies your resource Council also requires that the rule is met on anyunit area or internal cross lease boundary - unlikeAuckland City Can I Ensure Accuracy In Measurement?

10 If it is not readily apparent that the building is locatedbelow the recession plane angles, then a mathemati-cal equation of the angles should be used. Theequations are detailed below. No part of the buildingcan be higher than the sum of:Northernmost + ( x D)Southernmost + ( x D)Western and Easternmost + DD= the distance between the part of the building youare measuring and the formulas will give an accurate measurementof the extent of any infringement. You must also takeinto account any difference in ground level at the baseof the building , and the site boundary. If your buildingrises to within 200mm of the recession plane, pleaseprovide confirmation calculations that the building iswithin the building envelope.