Islamabad: The commission tasked with making revisions to the Islamabad master plan on Tuesday approved new by-laws for commercial building constructions in the city, a news source reported. The body gave its approval during a meeting presided over by Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Amer Ali – held at the CDA headquarters.
As per officials, these regulations will apply to all markazes and commercial buildings in the city. Under the new by-laws, plots spanning two kanals or more in markazes will be allowed a floor-area ratio of 1:6, while any plot size smaller than that will be allowed a 1:5 floor-area ratio.
Similarly, owners of plots measuring two kanals will be required to ensure the provision of parking spaces in their properties. Plots measuring between two and six kanals will be permitted a floor-area ratio of 1:8, while those measuring between six and 10 kanals will be allowed a ratio of 1:9. Plots with area measuring in excess of 10 kanals will be permitted a ratio of 1:10 without a cap on the number of floors.
Moreover, the commission proposed the authorities concerned to allow the construction of additional floor spaces in industrial and trade centres; which, under incumbent rules, are only permitted a commercial basement and one storey, in addition to the ground floor. It also recommended that the existing buildings in the Blue Area should be allowed an increase in the number of storeys if any of them were rebuilt.
The commission has also revoked the regulation that parking space could only be constructed in the basement. However, it did not feel the need to increase the number of storeys in class three shopping centres; where the establishment of a commercial basement and ground-plus-one storey is the standard practices, against the wishes of the CDA planning wing which had previously proposed the inclusion of additional floors in the said shopping centres.
