Lagos Restates Commitment to 28-Day Building Plan Approval Target
As part of efforts to enhance the efficiency of Government Agencies in the built environment sector, the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit and Building Control Regulations 2019, recently passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly, has come into effect as the framework for the operations of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
While making this known during a meeting with District Officers of LASPPA and Divisional
Heads and Zonal Heads of LASBCA in Ikeja on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako said that the 2019 Regulations repealed the Town & County Planning and Building Plan Regulations LSLN No 15 of 1986 and the Lagos State Physical Planning and Development Regulations 2005 LSLN No 7 of 2007.
According to him, the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit and Building Control Regulations 2019 harmonised the functions of the Lagos
State Physical Planning Permit Authority and the Lagos State Building Control Agency and addressed conflicts in the area of operation with respect to physical development, particularly on land use monitoring and building construction process.
Commissioner Salako stated that the Regulations would strengthen the two Agencies to enhance their efficiency, move Lagos forward in terms of physical development and ultimately lead to improvement in the State’s ease of doing business rating.
“The new Regulations are indicative of another milestone that is in tandem with the realisation of the THEMES Agenda of the Administration of His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu in Lagos State”, he said.
He emphasised that the two Agencies had no excuse not to excel, given the attention of Government on them and the determination to ease approval process as indicated by the recent Approval of His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State for the constitution of the Physical Planning Permit and Building Control
Appeals Committee and the passage of the LASPPPA and LASBCA Regulations 2019 for the efficiency of the two critical Agencies.
He said that staff of the Agencies would be given the necessary training, required for the smooth operations of the 2019 Regulations and the Appeals Committee.
He explained that increasing the number of Supervising Directors of LASPPPA from five to ten was one of the measures being taken to re-energise the system and fast-track the process of Building Plan Approval.
In the same vein, the Commissioner restated the commitment of the Lagos State Government to the 28-day Building Plan Approval target, stressing that all efforts were geared towards eliminating delays and ensuring smooth operation of the process for applications to be concluded within the stipulated time.
He urged staff of the Agencies to take ownership of their job, behave responsibly and professionally to ensure that the aims of Government for the sector were met, adding that much was expected from them as professionals.