ISLAMABAD: The city managers have decided to introduce regulations for the construction of apartments and buildings along major roads.

The new regulations are a continuation of a statutory regulatory order (SRO) of the Cabinet Division issued in 2007. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) took 11 years to finalise the regulations for commercial buildings on the sides of major roads including the Islamabad Highway, Murree Road, Bhara Kahu-Simly Dam Road, Park Road, Kuri Road and Lehtrar Road.

Thousands of unauthorised buildings have already been constructed along these roads, in violation of building parameters and causing massive traffic congestion due to little or no parking spaces near them.

The new regulations will be placed before the CDA board by the Planning Wing of the authority for approval, which also call for proper parking spaces, said CDA Member Planning, Asad Mehboob Kayani.

The civic body has taken 11 years to finalise these regulations during which many unauthorised buildings have been constructed along the roads

He said the summary is part of efforts to stop further unauthorised construction.

In its 57 years, the CDA has not made any serious attempt to implement its bylaws outside of the sectors, which has resulted in a mushroom growth of unauthorised commercial buildings in the rural areas of the capital.

In 2015, by-laws were presented before the CDA board, which gave principle approval subject to consultation with the Islamabad Capital Territory administration and the final approval of the cabinet.

This time, the CDA’s Planning Wing has prepared a new summary, which will likely be presented before the next meeting of the CDA board for approval.

The proposed regulations say owners of plots of 1,000 square yards or more will provide car parking at the rate of one car parking space, i.e. 250 sq ft for every 1,000sq ft of covered area which will be transferred in the name of the authority.

In case of non-availability of parking space adjacent to buildings, two times the required land for parking will be arranged and mutated in the CDA’s name within 500 metres along with a 30-foot wide access. The basement is to be used for car parking, a mechanical store, air-conditioning plant and maintenance office only.

It says that a large number of unauthorised commercial buildings have been constructed along roads, without paying commercialisation fee, in the absence of such regulations.

These by-laws will be applicable on properties along the above mentioned roads and Fatehjang Road subject to payment of land use conversion charges as determined by the finance wing.

“Any builder of the commercial, apartment site etc will get the building plans approved from CDA and follow the building regulations.

These by-laws shall also be applicable on already constructed buildings. The buildings fulfilling these building bye-laws shall be regularized and the buildings not fulfilling the policy shall be regularized after payment of composition fee or portion/part of violation which is not compoundable liable to be demolition,” the summary reads.

The owner of a plot measuring up to 500 square yards along the Islamabad Highway will be allowed to construct a basement, plus ground, plus one with 60pc ground coverage.

Owners with a plot of 500 to 990 sq yds can construct basement, plus ground, plus five. A basement, plus ground, plus nine storeys are allowed on plots of 2,000 sq yds or more For Park Road, a plot of up to 500 sq yds can have a basement, plus ground plus one storey while a basement, plus ground plus three storeys are allowed on a plot of up to 999 sq yds. A basement, plus ground, plus six storeys are allowed on plots over 1,000 sq yds.

The summary also proposed regulations for the Grand Trunk Road in Zone II and V only, stating that basement plus ground plus 1 will be allowed for plot of 500 square foot and basement plus ground plus three storeys will be allowed on plot size 500-999 sq yard. For a plot of more than 1,000 sq yds, basement plus ground plus ground plus six is allowed.

In Zone II, a 30 feet wide road will be left on the front side and transferred to the CDA for a service road and no direct access from CDA land will be provided. In the new summary, the CDA’s Planning Wing also sought approval of bylaws for various others roads such as Kuri road, Kahuta road and Fatehjang road etc.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2018

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