The General Manager, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), Tpl. Kehinde Osinaike has charged Real Estate Developers to ensure that all necessary documents needed for the processing of their Planning Permits are perfected before approaching the agency for approval. Tpl.
Osinaike gave the charge during a courtesy visit by members of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) to his office at Ikeja, emphasising the need to obtain Land Information on every property requiring a planning permit before submission of applications to LASPPPA in order to make the 10-Day pledge of processing Planning Permit realistic.
He admonished the developers to ensure that Certified Engineers and other relevant professionals are always available at construction sites to guide artisans appropriately against shoddy jobs, saying “We should desist from cutting corners and ensure the right professionals, as well as materials, are used in all construction projects”.
Osinaike said: “We have this 10-Day time-frame as a form of incentive to encourage applicants to come forward to obtain planning permits. However, we can only fulfil this pledge if all documents needed for processing the Physical Planning Permit are submitted from the onset of application, and applicants have performed their civic responsibility of tax payment”.
The General Manager also advised developers to obtain Planning Information from the Lands Bureau to ascertain the status of the property being purchased, adding that this will enable the developer to know if the land is under government acquisition or dedicated to other purposes of overriding public interest.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Mr. Bamidele Onalaja, commended the present administration for its giant strides and dedication to a safe physical development in the State, noting that this is why Lagos occupies an enviable position in the built sector, as every developer wishes to do business in the State.
Onalaja explained that the courtesy visit to LASPPPA was a way of consolidating the relationship his organisation has with the Lagos State Government through the Authority.
His words: “We have come to deliberate on areas of collaboration between the two organisations towards better service delivery to Lagosians, and to further curb the menace of building collapse in the State. While the government provides a blueprint for development, the private sector drives it. This is why our association is here to devise more ways of collaborating with the government to achieve these goals in Lagos State”.
The Chairman promised to encourage members of his organisation to obtain a Physical Planning Permit and consider Town Planning Regulations in developing their property.
He also assured that the organisation will continue to educate its members about government policies and the expectations of the present administration in the State with a view to ensuring that they abide by all relevant laws guiding their operations.
Onalaja, therefore, called on all developers in the State to join an organised developers’ association like theirs.