Chennai: Residential plots downsized, realtors seek total flexibility

CHENNAI: The ‘aspiring’ plot owners in the state could soon own residential plots within their budget and size requirements as the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) has decided to reduce the size of plots in layouts.

However, the move would expect to help the realtors who have been given a recent boost with the governmsent’s decision of importing sand to succour acute sand shortage in the state, the real estate industry had sought total flexibility in fixing the plot size.

It is learnt that the decision has been taken in a recent DTCP empowered committee meeting. “Earlier, the empowered committee, in 2010, had taken a decision to adopt the minimum size of a plot in a layout as 1500 sq.ft with the dimension of 30 and 50 feet,” sources in DTCP said.

With the new decision taken in the empowered committee, realtors could reduce the size of residential plots in a layout to 800 sq.ft with the dimension of 20 and 40 feet. “The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has been allowing plot size of 800 sq.ft in its jurisdiction. The DTCP empowered committee has also fixed the size of plots on par with the CMDA norms,” the sources added.

Although the decision would help economically weaker section of the state to own plots and ensure growth in real estate industry, the realtors have started to raise demands for total flexibility pertaining to the size of the plots.

“Town planning is a process based on socioeconomic aspect. Fixing the size of plots will curtail the economically weaker section from buying plots. The authorities should ensure flexibility in sizes so that everyone could buy plots based on their requirements and economic status,” K.M. Sadhanandh, President, Association of Professional Town Planners, said.

However, DTCP should continue to insist minimum requirements for roads inside layouts, he added.

In the meantime, Beela Rajesh, the Commissioner of Town and Country Planning had circulated an official order requesting country planners to adhere to the new norms.

In addition to reducing the size of plots, DTCP had also taken a decision regarding OSR (Open space reserve) area. “In DTCP, 10 percent OSR is calculated for the layout including roads. From now, DTCP will follow CMDA norms where 10 percent OSR is calculated excluding roads in layouts,” an official said.