LDA enacts new laws to promote high-rises

Unnecessary restrictions removed for obtaining NOC from govt agencies

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has promulgated various laws and regulations to promote high-rise buildings and streamline their approvals in the provincial capital.

Official documents made available to The Express Tribune showed that the authority has decided to simplify the approval process for high-rise buildings. Unnecessary restrictions have been removed for obtaining no-objection certificates (NOC) from different government agencies. Special counters of different government agencies have been established at the LDA one-window cell for speedy approvals of high-rise buildings.

The authority believed that the new regulations would help in reducing construction costs and completion time while also improving parking standards. Special provisions have been incorporated for hospitals to provide parking space within a 100-metre radius to reduce the load on existing buildings. Completion certificates have been made compulsory with the timeline.

To make high-rise buildings environment-friendly and to discourage horizontal development, rooftop gardening and solar panels are being encouraged for such structures. The authority has decided that each house will plant trees without which a completion certificate will not be issued. Rainwater harvesting and water treatment plants have been made compulsory for high-rises to save energy and conserve water.

In addition, the spaces in front of commercial buildings of a plot size not less than two kanals will not be allowed for parking purposes.

Besides encouraging economies of scale, the authority is trying to promote small businesses. Kiosks will be encouraged at commercial buildings like shopping malls to promote small businesses. Corner shops for the convenience of residents will be allowed in apartment buildings on the ground floor up to the size of 450 square feet. These shops will not be for big brands as they can only be up to 450 square feet and that too of a specific nature such as for butchers, vegetables, groceries, barbers etc.

The authority has also introduced new building height regulations. Previously for an apartment building, a plot size of four kanals and above was allowed. This has now been decreased to plot size of 10 marla to allow small builders to construct buildings. For the apartment, the building height has increased from 80-foot to 120-foot.

For plots sized eight kanal and above, the height has increased to 160-foot. Commercial area heights can go up to any height, subject to the size of the plot and all other regulatory approvals. The amalgamation of a commercial building is also allowed. The height of industrial buildings has been allowed up to 90-foot to promote businesses.

Parking is made optional for residents, small builders of 10 marla plots size and industrial buildings. A new clause for safety and special requirements has been added in the law, which made firefighting arrangements and equipment mandatory, especially for multi-storey buildings.

The authority has also constituted a grievance committee to allow up to 10% of non-compoundable violations as compoundable so old cases suspended for decades can be resolved and public service enhanced.

Provisions for declaration of new height zones have been provided and the areas declared for low height zones category can be jumped to higher height zones category subject to the fulfillment of infrastructure requirements.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2019.