Residents Associations of Dehiwela and Mount Lavinia on behalf of the public have suggested that all the buildings defined under the 1986 planning and building regulations as high-rise building should be located in a specially designated area, without juxtaposing it among the highly residential areas. This response was sent during a public consultation request by [...]
Mount and Dehiwela residents respond to public consultation request by UDA
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Residents Associations of Dehiwela and Mount Lavinia on behalf of the public have suggested that all the buildings defined under the 1986 planning and building regulations as high-rise building should be located in a specially designated area, without juxtaposing it among the highly residential areas.
This response was sent during a public consultation request by Urban Development Authority (UDA).
They, in a letter earlier this month to the UDA, stressed that these high rises shouldn’t be interfering with the existing facilities and the surrounding environment of the area through loss of privacy, sunlight or harmful in any other manner or causing nuisance. “Also, we request you to amend the existing building regulation, without thinking as if planning was purely for the benefit of the building, and as if property itself was there primarily for profit and not for use by human beings, and conduct a civic survey to assess how the existing development plan has destroyed the serenity of the existing residential areas, under the pretext of accelerated development.”
Some members told the Business Times that many letters had been published in the newspapers written by the people residing at Dehiwela – Mount Lavinia and other areas, expressing their views on the present trend allowing condominium buildings over and above the number of floors allowed among the existing highly residential area, even against the existing zoning and building regulations. “We were made to understand that, the planning and building regulations prepared in 1986 by a team of professionals has taken two years to formulate the same with the assistance of three Indian UN professors in town planning; defining G+4 as the high -rise building and continued to uphold the ‘standard light plane’ 63.5 degrees by Sri Lankan professionals in 1954, entrenched in the Housing and Town Improvement Ordinance, which acts as a check, not to allow any building to obstruct the existing legal light and ventilations of the adjoining buildings,” a member said.
He said that for the Colombo Municipal Council area, the building regulation in 1986 has been relaxed due to the non -availability of enough space, in order to make it as a commercial hub; whereas in no other areas these regulations were relaxed. However, in the latter new development plans have been prepared for other areas, such as Dehiwela- Mount Lavinia, Moratuwa, Sri Jayewardenepura, etc removing the standard light plane and copied the “C” Form of Colombo Municipal Council Area with slight amendments, reflecting the relaxed regulation of Colombo and thereby introduced improper development plan in this areas with anomalies where enough space is in existence.
In the letter, the associations note certain additional issues to consider -
10/03/1986 UDA regulations were relaxed in Colombo Municipal Council area due to the non-availability of enough land and to establish a commercial capital. Whereas, the relaxation of 1986 regulations are unwarranted in other areas where enough lands are available.
Ventilation and standard light plane 63.5 degree was introduced in the Housing and Town improvement Ordinance by the Sri Lankan Town Planners in 1954, taking into consideration our climatic conditions.
This requirement was not removed even when the 1986 regulations were formulated by a team of experts from Sri Lanka and India spending nearly two years. Further (G+4) floors and above was considered a high-rise building and allowed within a land extent not less than 40 perches with additional requirements for the said high-rise building.
Without undertaking a proper civic survey of Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia areas and implementing the copied relaxed regulations of Colombo MC has created an inimical situation to the planning principles which guarantees – Health and Convenience, Amenity and Economy.
The new development plan prepared for Dehiwela – Mount Lavinia for the year 2008 to 2020 adopted the relaxed “C” Form of Colombo Municipal Council area with slight adjustment and allowed condominium buildings among major residential areas, creating a conducive situation to debar the sun-light and cross ventilations to the existing residential buildings; affecting the health and convenience stipulated as a basic requirement in the Town Planning for the betterment of the people.
Also we were surprised to note that the relaxed regulation of Colombo Municipal Council which stipulates a minimum of 30ft. wide road for (G+6) floors and above, whereas in the DMMC planning and building regulations it stipulates only 20ft. width.
Since the planning is for people, we the Residents Associations of Dehiwela and Mount Lavinia on behalf of the public wish to suggest that, all the buildings defined under the 1986 planning and building regulation as high-rise shall not be allowed among the highly residential area interfering with the existing facilities of the surrounding environment of the area through loss of privacy or harmful in any other manner or causing nuisance. Also, we request you to amend the existing building and zoning regulations after undertaking a civic survey.
Conduct a civic survey within Dehiwela Mount Lavinia Municipal Council area in order to assess how the present development plan implemented from the year 2008 has destroyed the serenity of the existing residential areas, under the pretext of accelerated development.
Also height restrictions for condominiums need to be stipulated in this area as it falls on the flight path of aircraft landing at the Ratmalana Airport.
Fire safety regulations need to be re-visited as most of the rear side of these condominiums cannot be reached by the fire engines in case of a fire. Furthermore, fire engines may not be able to reach the condominium buildings during high traffic times as these roads are of 20ft wide especially in Dehiwala- Mount Lavinia areas.
Make the Environmental Impact Assessment mandatory when considering a condominium development for approval.
Make a study of infrastructure facilities such as water supply, electricity and sewerage mandatory when considering a condominium development for approval.
We suggest you to take proper statistics on the condominium buildings already allowed on 20 feet and less than 20 feet wide roads, in order to assess the damages caused, prior to the preparation of a people friendly development plan.
