Kāpiti Coast District Council Proposed District Plan
PROPOSED DISTRICT PLAN
Chapter 3 – Natural Environment
Landscape Advice to the Council Officers Right of Reply:
Caroline Watson, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Statement of Evidence
August 2016
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1.
LANDSCAPE MATTERS
Isthmus landscape architect consultants Brad Coombs and Lisa Rimmer have been asked to
provide advice and recommendations for the Council Officers Right of Reply to the evidence
of Caroline Watson (Policy Advisor for Greater Wellington Regional Council, GRWC) on
landscape matters addressed in the S42a report for Chapter 3 of the Kapiti Coast District
Council (KCDC) Proposed District Plan (PDP). Specifically, on the relief sought to:
i)
That the headings in the PDP Schedule 3.4 and 3.5 be amended to include the
wording ‘Description and values’ (rather than ‘Factor/Criteria Description’) so as to
make the link between Policy 3.18 for outstanding natural features and landscapes
(ONF/L) and 3.19 Special Amenity Landscapes (SAL) clear. GWRC support the changes
to the wording of these Policies, as stated in the S42a report.
This advice follows on from Isthmus’ Landscape and Coastal Environment Addendum (the
addendum report), as appended to the Chapter 3 s42A report, and attendance at the
Natural Environment hearings in July 2016 by landscape architect consultants Brad Coombs
and Lisa Rimmer.
2.
ADVICE AND RECOMMENDATIONS
2.1
PDP Schedule 3.4 and 3.5
Comment
Isthmus have recommended amendments to Policies 3.18 and 3.19, as follows:
ONF/L
3.18 Applications for subdivision, use and development in outstanding natural features and landscapes
must demonstrate that activities, including buildings and earthworks, will be located, designed and of
a scale and character that will ensure that the values of the landscape areas identified in Schedule 3.4
are protected.
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This differs slightly from that recommended in the S42A report:
Applications for subdivision, use and development in outstanding natural features and landscapes
must demonstrate that activities, including buildings and earthworks, will be located, designed and of
a scale and character that will ensure that the values identified in Natural Environment Schedule 3.4
are protected.
SAL
3.19 Subdivision, use and development in special amenity landscapes will be located, designed and of
scale and character that maintains or enhances the values of the landscape areas identified in Natural
Environment Schedule 3.5 of this Plan.
This wording is also recommended in the S42a report.
The PDP schedules describe the factors that contribute to landscape values, as identified in a district
wide assessment and through the submission response process. These are the ‘baseline’ physical,
perceptual and associative characteristics of the area that need to be managed to give effect to
Section 6b) of the Resource Management Act, RMA (for ONF/L’s) and Section 7c) (for SAL’s).
In addition, we have recommended that the introduction to the PDP schedule provides
guidance for a finer grain of assessment in a particular consent application. This is to
ensure the PDP schedule assessment record sheets are used in a responsive manner,
relevant to the site and the project.
Recommendations
That the:
-
PDP Policy 3.18 be amended further to read as follows:
‘3.18 Applications for subdivision, use and development in outstanding natural features and
landscapes must demonstrate that activities, including buildings and earthworks, will be located,
designed and of a scale and character that will ensure that the values of the landscape areas identified
in the Natural Environment Schedule 3.4 are protected. ‘
This wording is consistent with that recommended for SAL’ s for Policy 3.19 in the s42A report.
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- Introduction to the PDP schedules 3.4 [and 3.5] include the following text:
‘Physical, perceptual and associative factors contributing to landscape values for each area were
identified as part of a district wide and whole landscape assessment. Where more detailed assessment
is required to determine the effects of a particular consent application, factors relevant to the site and
the proposal will be confirmed. This may include the identification of additional factors and landscape
values, unique to a particular site, that are relevant to Section 6b) [Section 7c] and RPS Policy 25 [Policy
27]; as determined through a finer grain of assessment. Ground- truthing of landscape area
boundaries, carried out during a more detailed assessment process, will be a further a matter for
decision makers to consider, when determining the appropriateness of effects in a particular consent
application.’
- That the headings to the PDP schedules be retained as recommended in the S42A report.
The schedules describe the ‘baseline’ physical, sensory and associative factors/criteria to
be managed, as identified in a district wide assessment.
Brad Coombs
Director
Lisa Rimmer
Associate Landscape Architect
Isthmus Group Ltd
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