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Chandigarh heritage committee says no review required for redensification
After meeting on Wednesday, panel said issues of density, floor area ratio and heritage conservation were already decided in the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031
Five months after the Supreme Court directed the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee to consider the issue of redensification in Sectors 1 to 30, while declaring that they carried the heritage status, the panel on Wednesday stated that no review was required for redensification.
In its January 10 order, the Supreme Court, while banning conversion of residential houses into floor-wise apartments in these sectors, had also said the city’s heritage committee will consider the issue of redensification in these areas.
The court ordered that subsequently, the UT administration will consider amending the Chandigarh Master Plan (CMP)-2031 and the 2017 apartment rules in accordance with the recommendations of the committee. Any amendments will have to be placed before the central government for approval.
However, in the committee’s meeting held on Wednesday, under the chairmanship of UT adviser Dharam Pal, it was decided that considering the heritage status of Sectors 1 to 30, there was no need for further redensification.
It was stated that no review was required on issues of density, floor area ratio (FAR) and heritage conservation as these were already decided in the CMP-2031. Since no change was proposed, no proposal is needed to be sent to the central government for consideration.
The panel noted that the master plan was approved after due deliberations on aspects of heritage conservation and urban planning. Hence, its provisions will be kept intact.
Share-wise property sale: UT to take legal opinion
On the issue of restrictions on share transfer outside family and sanction of building plan where property is co-owned by stranger/non-family, the committee members decided that since these decisions involved legal aspects, the administration may consider taking decisions on these issues as per judgment after due legal examination.
Regarding need-based changes in showrooms in Sector 7 and 26 on Madhya Marg, it was discussed that the MP-led 11-member committee, formed to streamline property matters, had recommended that retractable/temporary roof should be allowed after due examination by the architect and fire service departments.
It was decided that the matter needed further examination on the aspect of fire safety, ventilation and availability of parking. Hence, it was directed to put up the case again before the heritage committee after detailed examination on the aspects.
Regarding the representation to allow conversion of Kiran Cinema in Sector 22 into a multiplex under the multiplex scheme, the heritage committee decided that the architect department, along with the plan approval committee and non-official members of the heritage committee, will examine the proposal in detail and submit a report in the next heritage committee meeting.
The Wednesday meeting was also attended by Chandigarh mayor Anup Gupta and senior officers of the UT administration.
