Volume One 14. Use of the Rural Environment [D] Policy 14.4.7 – Ensure significant adverse odour effects from rural activities are avoided or mitigated to protect lawfully established land uses. The need to address adverse effects of odour comes from the presence of people in rural environments, whether they live, work or play within these environments. Rural activities that can potentially produce off-site odour effects include the intensive farming of animals in buildings and associated treatment and/or disposal of collected effluent, the production of compost and the construction of farm land fills and offal pits. The nature of farming activities means that odour effects can be transitory as well as weather and management dependent. Appropriate management, siting and design involves making use of currently available technology and best practice, both of which assist in avoiding and/or mitigating adverse effects. [D] Policy 14.4.8 – Avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects on the character and amenity of rural environments by controlling the number, size, location and nature of signs. Signs are important tools for businesses to advertise their products and location and for people to obtain information. However, signs may potentially have adverse effects in rural areas as they can create a cluttered appearance. As rural areas are perceived as uncluttered, they are susceptible to the potential adverse effects of signage, dependent on the location, size or level of illumination of the sign and how these features conform to the characteristics of the surrounding environment and to people’s expectations. Controls will therefore be imposed on signage in the form of permitted activity standards appropriate for Marlborough’s different rural environments. Where these standards are not met an application for resource consent will be required to allow for the necessity and appropriateness of the proposed sign to be assessed in terms of its impact on amenity values. [D] Policy 14.4.9 – Encourage the consolidation of information signs by supporting the establishment of “Welcome to” signs and information laybys at the entrance to Marlborough’s larger towns, in order to reduce the effects of directional and commercial signs on visual amenity. The establishment of information signs and laybys provide an important service to visitors and an opportunity for local businesses to notify their location and services. Therefore, encouraging the establishment of strategic areas is considered an effective way of providing for signs and information, while protecting visual amenities of rural environments. [D] Policy 14.4.10 – Control the establishment of residential activity within rural environments as a means of avoiding conflict between rural and residential amenity expectations. The development of pockets of residential development in rural areas can have an impact on the continued use of rural resources. The presence of residential activities in rural environments can make it very difficult for productive rural activities to continue operating effectively and efficiently, to expand or establish new sites. Therefore, the Council considers there is a need to control the extent of residential activity within rural environments to ensure these outcomes do not eventuate. [D] Policy 14.4.11 – The cumulative adverse effects of subdivision and/or development on rural character and amenity values are to be avoided. Rural character is vulnerable to cumulative effects and can be lost through repeated subdivision and development, both of which significantly detract from the rural character and open space of the locality. As subdivision occurs, rural character becomes increasingly compromised due to changing land uses, particularly when residential activities become more prevalent. This can be particularly evident in areas already dominated by small allotments and non-rural land uses, where loss of open space, ribbon development, reduced setback distances and built features 14 – 11