THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The special committee constituted to look into the objections and suggestions being filed in response to Thiruvananthapuram city corporation’s Draft Master Plan 2040 seems to have found a middle ground while addressing concerns about floor area ratio (FAR), access roads and proposals in transit oriented development corridors (ToD). It is learnt that revisions have been suggested in case of proposals related to FAR.
The draft master plan has introduced FSI/FAR (floor space index) restrictions which are at variance with the provisions of the building rules. As per the building rules, major occupancies like residential, commercial and multiplex could have an FSI of three without any additional fee and a higher FSI of four with payment of an additional fee of Rs 5,000/sq.m.
The draft master plan proposes that the maximum permissible FSI of three (without fee) can be availed for residential occupancies within transit oriented development zone. In core area zone, the maximum FSI has been reduced to two and for additional FSI, Rs 5,000/sq.m has to be paid. Residential occupancies can only have an FSI of 2.5 without additional fee in priority development zone and mixed residential zone. Such proposals triggered protests during the hearing.
While the revised FAR and access as suggested by the special committee won’t be in alignment with the municipality building rules, it has still been revised to strike a middle level. In a move aimed at various objectives like ensuring higher land prices for inner pockets of land, providing wider roads to provide hassle free access in case of disasters, increasing the quality of roads etc, the draft master plan has pitched drastic revisions in minimum access width.
The revision has been proposed for all the occupancies covering the broad range of floor areas. While single units under Group AI occupancy (residential) upto 300 sq.m require no minimum access under the existing Kerala municipality building rules, the draft master plan proposes minimum access width of three metres for units having a total floor area of 200-500 sq.m. No minimum access requirement is applied to residential buildings with a total floor area of up to 200 sq.m. Some of these conditions regarding minimum access width will be relaxed.
As for developmental regulations in ToD corridors, the special committee has proposed changes.
Two ToD corridors were proposed for the capital city in the draft master plan 2040 with flexible floor area ratio (FAR). ToD aims at combining land use and transport planning in a way that it would promote planned, sustainable urban growth centres, liveable communes with high density mixed land-use.
ToD model envisages a place where citizens can avail open,green, public spaces and at the same time transit facilities are efficiently utilized.
The special committee report will be sent to the town planning standing committee and will be sent for council’s approval.
