Office Order No. 4/2016, Guidelines for Scrutiny of Swimming Pool Proposals
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, Chennai, Administration Division, issued Office Order No. 4/2016 dated 25 January 2016 to guide scrutiny of planning permission applications for swimming pools in the Chennai Metropolitan Area. It sets design, access, safety and facility requirements for individual pools and pools forming part of larger developments, and requires permission from the relevant Executive Authority under the Tamilnadu Urban Local Bodies (Regulation and Monitoring of Swimming Pool) Rules 2015.
What the office order covers
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, Chennai, Administration Division, issued Office Order No. 4/2016 dated 25 January 2016. It provides scrutiny standards for swimming pools proposed independently or as part of another development within the Chennai Metropolitan Area, and applies to planning permission and completion certificate processing.
The Member Secretary of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is identified as the competent authority for issuing concurrence for swimming pool construction in the Chennai Metropolitan Area. A committee chaired by the Commissioner of Police is proposed to issue the No Objection Certificate needed to operate a swimming pool.
Main design and safety requirements
Office Order No. 4/2016 includes the following requirements:
- Swimming pools may generally have any shape or dimensions. Pools in educational institutions must be rectangular and use one of four sizes: 50 m by 25 m, 25 m by 16 m, 15 m by 10 m, or 10 m by 6 m.
- Educational institutions may have only in-ground pools. Diving boards are prohibited in educational institutions and single dwelling units.
- A structural engineer must certify the pool design, and the pool must be accessible to emergency vehicles.
- Amusement park pools require an unobstructed driveway at least 3.5 m wide from the public road for at least 30 m from the pool.
- The order specifies limits for floor slopes, wall construction, curved wall and floor junctions, and water depths.
- Pools generally require a deck at least 3 m wide and a setback of at least 3 m from structures or site boundaries. For a single dwelling unit, both minimum measurements are 1 m.
- Pools must have at least two means of egress. Pools at least 9 m wide require at least four.
- Indoor and outdoor pools must have fencing at least 1.2 m high and at least two exits, each at least 2 m wide.
- Separate showers, dressing booths and sanitary facilities are required for each gender, but these provisions are optional for a pool in a single dwelling unit.
Floors, completion and permissions
Office Order No. 4/2016 permits Category III and IV in-ground pools without diving boards within a stilt floor, subject to the stated standards. Pools may also be permitted on terrace or intermediate floors, provided they meet the applicable standards and do not breach the building height set by the Development Regulations of the Second Master Plan 2026.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority must insist on a No Objection Certificate from the Executive Authority when issuing a completion certificate. Planning permission recipients must also be informed that prior permission from the relevant Executive Authority is required.
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Common questions
Do I need separate approval to construct a swimming pool in the Chennai Metropolitan Area?
Yes. The applicant must obtain concurrence from the Executive Authority of the relevant Urban Local Body. The Member Secretary of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is identified as the competent authority for concurrence within the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
What space is required around a swimming pool at a single dwelling unit?
A pool in a single dwelling unit must have a deck at least 1 m wide around it. The deck must also be set back at least 1 m from any adjacent structure or site boundary.
Can an educational institution install a diving board or an above-ground pool?
No. Educational institutions may have only in-ground swimming pools, and diving boards are not permitted.
Can a swimming pool be built on a terrace or intermediate floor?
Yes, subject to compliance with the stated pool standards. A terrace pool, including its fencing, must not violate the building height set by the Development Regulations of the Second Master Plan 2026.
