New CDP okays commercialization of residential areas

GUARD YOUR GREEN WEALTH
Boost to business if revised CDP is okayed
Deccan Herald
Citizens need not change their land use from residential to commercial purposes, to set up small business enterprise, if the revised CDP is implemented.


The age-old demarcation of Bangalore as purely-residential and commercial areas will be done away. A new, ‘flexible’ zoning pattern with the integration of both will be used -- if the fresh Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for Bangalore is implemented.

The new CDP has proposed to allow small commercial activities (but not independent) in residential areas of up to 200 sq mts area against the existing 50 sq mts. Provision is also made for an independent business set-up in residential areas, but at a much higher rate. Both provisions are, however, subject to certain restrictions like location and availability of amenities in the area, official sources told Deccan Herald.

As per the present CDP, Bangalore is divided into three zones -- A, B and C -- based on density of population. It has reserved each of these zones exclusively for either residential purposes or commercial purposes or industrial use.

“If it (new CDP) is implemented, citizens need not change their land use from residential to commercial purposes to set up small business enterprise as major relaxation is proposed in utilisation of land. Even the local bodies can easily give permission for commercial activities,” sources said.

The fresh CDP, which is dubbed as commercial-friendly, proposes to open up areas along five major Mutation Corridors (five major link roads of Hosur Road, Mysore Road, Bellary Road, Bannerghatta Road and Tumkur Road) for business activities. This is being done in view of huge “business potential” of these places, officials said.

In all, the new CDP has proposed to allow commercial activities to come up in around seven per cent of 1,279 sq km of Bangalore Metropolitan area in the next 15 years, against the existing CDP’s three per cent. This also means that commercial and business activities will be allowed to come up in over 6,000 acres of land.

For this purpose, the Metropolitan Area is classified into five major zones and 15 operational zones, based on development-based approach. Five major zones among them are: Old Urban Zone, Urban Redevelopment Zone, Residential Zone, Industrial Zone and Green Belt Zone.

Rampant violation

A survey conducted on violations of existing zoning patterns as part of CDP revision exercise has revealed that there is rampant violation of zonal norms for commercial usage.

Violations have been identified on over 3,000 acres of land.

It was found that violation was mainly due to rigid zoning norms and lack of adequate space for business and commercial activities.

15 ZONES

*Old Petta zone (old areas)
*Traditional Urban zone
*MG Road zone
*Central Business District zone
*Central Business District Precinct
*Transformation zone
*Mutation Corridor zones
*Main residential zone
*Mixed residential zone
*Industrial zone
*Hi-tech zone
*Logistic and transportation zone
*Protected land zone
*Restricted development zone
*Agriculture land zone