Christchurch City Councillors has voted against changing its planning rules to comply with a government directive for intensification.

Council won’t formally notify and invite submissions on the proposed Housing and Business Choice Plan Change that would bring the District Plan in line with recently passed legislation.

Staff recommended the Council notify the Housing and Business Choice Plan Changes for public consultation on 23 September.

Despite the council’s rejection, intensification has already happened in many parts of the city with multiple unit dwellings filling medium sized sections.

Many are only 50 square metres and populate areas in Richmond, Shirley, central city and Waltham.

New  Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) would have come into effect when the Plan Change was notified, allowing up to three homes, up to 12 metres high (generally three storeys), to be built on a section in most residential areas of the city (except for in specified areas where there were ‘Qualifying Matters’), without resource consent.

ACT Deputy Leader and Housing spokesperson Brooke van Velden said “councils up and down the country are lashing out at the Labour/National housing deal, with the Christchurch City Council the latest to stand up to the law.”

She said a “showdown with central government” was coming.

“All of this opposition was predicted by ACT, who said from the begging the law was unworkable and worst of all, won’t actually deliver more houses.

Councils can’t afford it. Without more infrastructure, there won’t be more houses in total, they’ll just be in different places.”