Roc.No.26294/10 LA2, Power delegation for issue of planning permission and technical clearance, 2010

What the circular does

Roc.No.26294/10 LA2, issued by the Office of the Director of Town and Country Planning on 20 December 2010, gives additional approval powers to the Member Secretaries of Composite Local Planning Authorities and New Town Development Authorities. Regional Deputy Directors may exercise the same powers within their respective jurisdictions.

The delegation was intended to reduce the need for members of the public to travel from different parts of Tamil Nadu to the head office for planning permission.

Conditions for using the delegated powers

The delegated officers must ensure compliance with:

• Use zone restrictions.
• Development parameters and parking requirements.
• Detailed Development Plan regulations.
• Prescribed layout conditions.
• DCR requirements in the nine corporations and their Local Planning Authority areas, and throughout Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts.

The floor area limits for buildings refer to the floor area counted for FSI calculation.

Buildings and developments covered

The delegated powers include planning permission or technical clearance for:

• Residential buildings, group developments and special buildings with up to 50 dwelling units, a floor area not exceeding 2,500 square metres and a maximum height of 15 metres.
• Commercial and institutional buildings with a floor area not exceeding 2,500 square metres and a maximum height of 15 metres.
• School buildings of ground plus two floors, with no area limit, if the Justice Sampath Committee recommendations are fulfilled.

Layouts and plot approvals

Roc.No.26294/10 LA2 permits approval of:

• Layouts up to five acres in corporation, municipal and town panchayat areas.
• Layouts up to 10 acres in rural areas.
• Layouts connected with the Tamil Nadu Housing Board, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, JNNURM, SIDCO, SIPCOT, Samathuvapuram, TSUNAMI and Adi-Dravidar Welfare, without an area limit.
• Plot subdivisions, plot amalgamations and site approvals that satisfy applicable norms, including minimum area and size requirements under the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Building Rules, 1972, and the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Building Rules, 1997.
• Later additions or revisions to approved plans or layouts, within the delegated limits.

The circular also allows specified relaxations concerning more than one dwelling and site, subdivision or amalgamation approval within the delegated limits.

Decision time and oversight

The responsible authority must make a final decision within 30 days after receiving an application. Head office officers and the Director of Town and Country Planning may conduct periodic and cursory inspections, and identified deviations will be treated seriously. The circular took effect immediately.