News
Minister says Layards Road project was approved on justifiable grounds
A Development Plan drawn by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) is usually meant for ten years and shall not be regarded as ‘static’, Megapolis Minister Champika Ranawaka said this week, in a clarification to last week’s Sunday Times story titled ‘Minister allows 14-storey Blue Ocean project despite legal disputes’.
The minister says in his clarification: “The current Colombo Development Plan was prepared in 2008 and amendments have been in preparation since 2017. Meanwhile, interim amendments are made to the existing Development Plan taking note of the requirements that emerge from time to time, and the overall revisions envisaged in the forthcoming plan.
“At instances when owners of certain properties find the development of their properties are frustrated because of the prevailing regulations amidst changing market conditions and development needs, there is provision for them to submit appeals to the UDA.
“These appeals are referred to the Planning Committee for consideration. When the Committee finds any submission that can be considered beyond individual developments, on reasonable grounds for a timely amendment in the existing Development Plan, its recommendations are forwarded to the Minister-in-Charge of the subject, who is vested with the authority to give effect to such amendments in the Plan, through a Gazette notification.”
The minister says he has endorsed several amendments to the City of Colombo Development Plan in the past three years, all based upon justifiable grounds, in order to facilitate urban development. The context of the particular development referred to in the said news item, too, was one of that nature.
“In all these situations, I have endorsed the gazette notification only having thoroughly considered the grounds on which the amendment to the plan were proposed, and I had no reason to consider who the developers could be. Therefore, it is not appropriate to give the impression that ‘Minister allows 14-storey development…’ as I do not interfere in providing approvals for individual developers.
The minister maintains that the process was initiated long before the case was brought before courts.
Reporter’s response: Many of the details contained in the minister’s clarification are reflected in our original story which gave fair and equal representation to the UDA’s position. We are not in a position to comment on whether the process was initiated long before the case was filed by Layards Road residents. We can only state the obvious: that the Minister’s decision published in the gazette is dated shortly after legal proceedings were initiated.