Office Order No.3/2009, Green Channel Planning Permission Applications
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, Administration Division, issued Office Order No.3/2009 dated 15 April 2009, revising the Green Channel process for planning permission applications with effect from 15 April 2009. It supersedes Office Order Nos.8/1999, 10/2001, 4/2003 and 2/2008, and sets eligibility, document, processing, verification and enforcement requirements for specified developments.
What the order governs
Office Order No.3/2009 of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, Administration Division, dated 15 April 2009, establishes revised Green Channel guidelines for planning permission. The process allows eligible applications to be assessed initially without a site inspection by a Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority official, based on certificates from the architect or licensed surveyor.
Eligible buildings and sites
The Green Channel covers:
- Ordinary residential and commercial buildings as defined in the Development Regulations.
- Special buildings and group developments with no more than 50 dwelling units or 1,500 square metres of commercial floor area.
- Approved plots, amalgamations of approved sites, and sites shown by documents to have existed before 5 August 1975.
The site must be vacant or become vacant through the required demolition. It must abut a public road maintained by the local body or Highways Department, with the width required by the Development Regulations.
The site must not be in a CRZ area or Aquifer Recharge Area, land notified or proposed for government acquisition, or land affected by a Master Plan or Detailed Development Plan street alignment, road widening or link road. Restrictions also apply near burial or burning grounds, live quarries, stone crushers, airport runways, Indian Air Force boundaries, railway boundaries and Metro Rail alignments. Overhead electric lines and inundation may also prevent eligibility, subject to the stated exception for approved sites.
Documents and compliance
A Green Channel application must include:
- A prescribed certificate from the applicant having development rights over the property.
- A prescribed certificate from the qualified architect or engineer, who must also be a Class I Licensed Surveyor.
- Plans and applications signed by both the applicant and professional.
- Patta and FMB sketch or PLR extract, with the required Revenue Official attestation.
The development must fully comply with land use and Development Regulations. It cannot involve rule relaxation, premium FSI, TDR, or gifting of communal, recreational, road widening or link road land.
Processing and enforcement
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority must communicate its decision within 21 days from admission of the Green Channel application and must make every effort to dispose of it within 30 days. It may convert the application to the normal process for recorded reasons approved by the Member Secretary.
The Enforcement Cell must inspect the site within 30 days after Green Channel planning permission is issued. Misrepresentation can lead to revocation of permission, enforcement against the development, and action against the architect or Class I Licensed Surveyor. The local body must separately verify road details and any required demolition before issuing its building licence or permit.
This summary is generated from the source document to help you find what is relevant. The PDF above is authoritative. For advice on your own property, use LandLens One or speak to a qualified professional.
Common questions
Can my ordinary residential building use the Green Channel?
Yes, ordinary residential buildings defined under the Development Regulations are included, provided the site, zoning, documents and other eligibility conditions are satisfied.
What can I do if no decision is received within 21 days?
You may make a representation to the concerned Senior Planner or to the Member Secretary of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. The application stage must then be placed before the Member Secretary for appropriate further action.
Does Green Channel planning permission remove the need for a local body permit?
No. The applicant's undertaking states that construction will not begin until planning permission from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and a building licence or permit from the concerned local body are obtained.
Can Green Channel permission be cancelled after it is issued?
Yes. If an inspection finds that permission was obtained through misrepresentation of facts, action may be taken to revoke it, and action may also be taken against the architect or Class I Licensed Surveyor.
