Council says no to chicken coop apartments

Council staff are being instructed to decline building consent applications for small apartments or those where natural light is considered inadequate following a directive from its City Development Committee today.

In these circumstances the council will expect the Building Industry Authority (BIA) to step in and decide whether these types of developments meet building code requirements.

Developers of apartments less than 30 square metres or those that have poor levels of natural light will be advised to go back to the drawing board or seek a determination from the BIA.

“We decided to introduce this approach as we were concerned about the quality of some of the residential buildings currently under development or being proposed,” says Councillor Juliet Yates, City Development Committee chairperson.

“The current Building Act doesn’t set any standards for the size of dwellings, which is problematic for a growing city like Auckland where intensive housing is becoming more of the norm,” said Mrs Yates.

The Building Bill 2003 was tabled in Parliament in August 2003. A submission by council is being prepared recommending minimum standards are set in the building legislation that will deliver quality intensive residential living.

Auckland City will make its submission on the new Building Act by 31 October 2003.

© Scoop Media