Thiruvananthapuram; The Local Self Government department is all set to relax the building rule that required parking facilities to be located on the same plot as the building. Instead, building owners can now arrange for parking facilities on an adjacent plot owned by them.

According to the latest decision, 25% of the parking space must be on the plot where the building is located, while the remaining 75% can be on an adjacent plot. This order, which will soon come out, will apply to all types of buildings, from large shopping complexes and apartment buildings to smaller establishments, said MB Rajesh, the Minister for Local Self Governments.

The adjacent plot used for parking must be owned by the building owner and located within 200 meters of the building plot. There must be adequate space for vehicles to enter and exit the parking area. To facilitate these relaxed norms, the property owner and the local self-government (LSG) secretary should also enter into an agreement that the plot will not be transferred to anyone else or used for other construction activities.

The requirements for parking spaces in school and college hostel buildings, which are based on floor area, will also be eased. Under the current system, permits can be cancelled if the plot size changes due to sales, donations, road expansions, or acquiring additional space. Amendments will be made to prevent permit cancellations in such cases when there are no violations of building rules.

Other Changes:

• The duration of building construction permits will be extended to 15 years.
• A first appellate authority system, composed of district-level officials, will be established to review rejected permit applications.
• Parking space requirements will be relaxed for turf courts without galleries.
• Rules will be amended to ensure small-scale plot owners can receive LSG permits.

Changes in Licence Rules:

Authorities will also revise licence norms for trade, commerce, industry, and service sectors, which also includes granting licences to small-scale industrial, manufacturing, or commercial units operating alongside household units. The slabs set for determining the fee structure of LSGs too will be revised. The fines for delays in obtaining trade licences from municipalities will be slashed. Commercial establishments will be required to pay user fees based on the amount of waste they generate.