Official guidance, Tamil Nadu land law
Hill Station Building Application Examination Formats
The Director of Town and Country Planning, Tamil Nadu, issued Letter No. 33728/93 dated 12 October 1994, requiring prescribed examination forms to accompany hill station building permission applications sent for consideration by the Aesthetic Aspects Preservation Committee. Form A applies to residential buildings not exceeding 300 square metres of floor area, while Form B applies to larger residential buildings and buildings of every other use.
What the document does
Letter No. 33728/93 dated 12 October 1994, issued by the Director of Town and Country Planning, Tamil Nadu, standardises the information required when hill station building applications are forwarded to the Director of Town and Country Planning or the Member Secretary for consideration by the Aesthetic Aspects Preservation Committee. The letter provides two forms based on building size and use.
The formats are for examining applications under the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities (Hill Stations) Building Rules, 1993. They do not record approval for any particular property.
Who must use each form
The local body's administrative officer must complete the relevant form clearly, sign it and attach it to the application:
- Form A is for a residential building with floor area not exceeding 300 square metres.
- Form B is for a residential building with floor area above 300 square metres.
- Form B is also required for every non-residential use, even where the floor area is below 300 square metres. Its heading covers large and commercial buildings, and its use categories include residential, commercial, multistoreyed, public and industrial buildings.
Information examined
The examination formats ask for details including:
- The local body, applicant, survey particulars, street and official correspondence references.
- The use, construction stage, road width, plot extent, built area, plot coverage, floors and total floor area.
- The status of the master plan, applicable land use zone and compliance with that zone.
- Whether the site falls within specified distances of Ooty Lake, Ooty Botanical Garden, lakes in Kodaikanal and Ooty, Ooty Race Course, Kodaikanal Gymkhana Ground or Sims Park in Coonoor.
- Geological weakness, distance beyond 30 metres, site gradient and compliance with gradient parameters.
- Separation from burial or burning grounds, railway lines, tanks, rivers and watercourses.
- Whether a detailed development plan applies, its status and proposed land use, and whether the application conforms to it.
Landscaping and violations
The formats also check whether trees can camouflage the building, whether creepers and ground cover are provided for cut areas and retaining walls, whether tree cover occupies at least 25 percent of the unbuilt area, and whether one third of the front setback depth is provided for gardening. Form A includes space to record the nature, extent and percentage of violations against applicable planning and building requirements.
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
Which form applies to a 250 square metre house in a Tamil Nadu hill station?
Form A applies because it is a residential building with floor area not exceeding 300 square metres.
Which form applies to a commercial building below 300 square metres?
Form B applies. The 300 square metre Form A limit is only for residential buildings, while other building uses must use Form B.
Who must complete and sign the examination form?
The local body's administrative officer must complete the required details clearly, sign the form and attach it to the building application.
Does the format check whether the site complies with the master plan?
Yes. It asks for the master plan status, the site's land use zone and whether the proposal conforms to that zone.
