I like to think
of building plan thus: Every idea starts with the gift of imagination!
However, it has been proven that even the shortest pencil is better than the
longest memory. Imagination needs to be captured otherwise it becomes a thing
of the past.
They are the
first tangible thing that depicts the picture of the buildings we have
imagined. Without them, we cannot fully capture or see the reality of that
beautiful four bedroom duplex with a swimming pool and a lovely garden or the
100,000sqm of parking space with tons of convenience stores meeting the needs
of various individuals.
They are the
graphical representation of what a building will look like after construction
and also helps in the process of evaluating the cost of erecting such a
structure.
In most
countries, it is customary to obtain a permit or approval from appropriate
authorities and Nigeria is not an exception. A Building plan approval is
necessary before construction can commence.
This is to
ensure that building complies with building laws and codes and to prevent
people from just constructing as they deem fit.
Hence, the very
first thing to do when you want to commence construction is to obtain a Development
Permit from the Lagos State Government and the office in charge is the Lagos
State Physical Planning and Development Authority (LASPPDA), a parastatal under
the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
To obtain a building plan approval, the following process is
required.
1.
Architectural design is submitted for inspection
to confirm if design is in conformity with the approval standards and order for
the area which the land is located.
2.
If documents are found satisfactory,
assessment will be given. The assessment is based on the volume of your
building multiplied by the rate applicable to your land location.
Usually, bank
drafts is made payable to the Lagos State Government, the relevant local planning authority
of the land location and Lagos
State Physical Planning and Development Authority. You might also need to pay some
additional fees to Lagos State Government depending on your proposal.
3.
Before submission of your application,
the site will be inspected. This is the first of various inspections that your
site will be subjected to. The reason is to know if the site in question is the
same as the one being proposed for development and also, that you have not
commenced construction before building plan approval.
The site will also be checked with the
immediate environment to see if proposal is in conformity with the existing
land use, and if the size of the plot is as presented in the survey plan and
design proposal. If the inspection report is satisfactory, the application will
then be registered, provided all documents have been submitted.
The following are the processes a registered file undergoes within
the planning office:-
o
The file is authorized for
registration by the District Officer (D.O) or Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and
registered by the clerical officer who assigns the file number and receives all
sheets of the drawing submitted.
o
Provided all relevant documents are
submitted, the file is sent to the table of the DO/CEO, who sends it to the
field officer to include his site sketch and report while another file is
opened with all relevant payment receipts and sent to the accountant’s office
at LASPPDA headquarters for payment confirmation
o
The file is sent back to the DO/CEO
who acts on the report of the field officer. If satisfied, it is forwarded to
the charting officer to determine the conformity of the land with the land use
of the area and the actual status of the land
o
The charting report is sent to the
DO/CEO who determines the next line of action. If the report is satisfactory,
it is sent to the table of the engineer for inspection of the structural
drawings.
o
The engineer will treat the
application and revert back to the DO/CEO who acts on the report. If satisfactory,
the file is sent to the recommendation officer to examine and recommend as
appropriate.
o
The recommendation officer’s job is crucial
as he/she will go through the entire file to ensure that all requirements in
terms of documents and fees have been included in the file. Finally, the site will
be re-visited to confirm that construction has not commenced before
recommending to the DO/CEO if application should be granted approval or not.
All of these can be done for you by your Architect, Surveyor or any other knowledgeable member of your building team.
DEBO ADEJANA
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