Lagos halts permits to reclaimed Banana Island lands

• Urges stakeholders to approach ministry for planning permit.

Due to the illegal reclamation of parts of the waterways bordering Ikoyi/Victoria Island, the Lagos State has said it will stop granting permits to reclaimed lands in Banana Island.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, dropped the hint during a dialogue with owners and developers of properties on Banana Island and other estates in Ikoyi with his ministry to facilitate seamless processing of planning permit.

Salako condemned the illegal reclamation of parts of the waterways bordering Ikoyi/Victoria Island with frivolous claims despite the 2003 Supreme Court Judgement which vested all lands and physical development of same in the Lagos State Government.

Salako affirmed that the ministry will stop granting planning permits on such reclaimed lands regardless of clearances from Federal Government Ministry Department and Agencies, (MDAs) which is in flagrant disobedience of the subsisting Ikoyi/Victoria Island Approval Order.

According to him, the meeting was to ensure that the bastardisation of the operative development plan covering the areas was stopped and for the extant laws and regulations governing physical development in the state to be respected.

The Commissioner urged the stakeholders in the Ikoyi area to be above board, especially as regards sustainable development and lawful dealings, to avoid engaging in unwholesome acts, which were capable of bringing serious embarrassment to their persons.

He listed the unwholesome practices by owners and developers to include, non-adherence to planning permits, which rendered the permit null and void, constituted illegal development and attracts sanctions as well as the related payments and possible demolition of building as empowered by the extant laws.

He decried the deliberate falsehood carried out in the design drawings with a view to shortchanging the government as regards assessment and scheduled fees.

According to the Commissioner this is usually perpetrated by owners and developers who prepare two to three sets of drawings for purpose of manipulation, so that the set presented for planning permit processing differs from that to be used for actual construction on site.

“Most often than not, the design parameters are in total variation in terms of volume of building, airspaces and setbacks, permissible density, number of floors, permissible uses,” he added.

He condemned the construction of buildings prior to granting of planning permit and mandatory stage certification, stressing that payment of fees must not be misconstrued as automatic planning permit, while construction prior to planning permit rendered the development illegal and liable to enforcement exercises.

Commenting on the issue of fake approvals, the Commissioner admonished against connivance with third parties, some of whom were staff of the ministry who were illegally engaged to provide ‘administrative protection’ for illegal developments.

He said the act is criminal offence and all persons that are found culpable in this regard, including the Owners/Developers of such buildings are liable for prosecution and other sanctions as provided by the law.

Salako urged stakeholders to ensure compliance with the statutory requirements and deal directly with the ministry through its formal channels.

He informed the stakeholders that another illegal act being frowned at was encroachment of the proposed regional road alignment, coastal road and the lagoon highway which is to connect the regional road with the Fourth Mainland Bridge.