Roles of Building Owners in Relation to Town Planning
Posted on: 15 March 2018
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Every building developer should adhere to the town planning requirements within the locality. The town plan will, therefore, determine which type of development is most suitable since certain areas are designated for either commercial or residential purposes. This article discusses some of the responsibilities that you are expected to perform as a building owner before commencing construction.
Take note of the zoning requirements
You cannot decide to construct a commercial high-rise building without checking the zoning requirements of the area. As the owner of a building, you must check the town plans and confirm that what you want to put up is acceptable. The town plan contains a list of all the developments that are permissible in an area and you should stick to them. It would be a wastage of funds to spend money paying an architect and starting work on the foundation only for the work to be stopped by the relevant authorities.
Appointing Competent People
As the building owner, you have the responsibility of hiring and appointing competent people to carry out the construction. For example, you should make sure that the contractor and certifiers you hire are qualified to execute the works for which you have hired them. These will ensure that the work meets the proper regulatory standards that have been listed by the town planners. Taking any shortcuts is dangerous and can lead to accidents the town planning guidelines are meant to avoid.
Availing Resources
It is also your duty to avail all the resources that are required for the competent people, such as the certifier, to perform their functions. For example, you are expected to make money available to procure building materials that meet the minimum quality standards for a given aspect of the work. You should also institute the mandatory safety mechanisms, such as fall arrest systems, to prevent avoidable accidents as the competent people are doing their work. The contractors cannot be blamed in case they decline to perform any work for which you have not availed the required resources.
As such, you should have an active role when your development is under construction. Many building owners leave the oversight role to the engineers and the contractors they have hired. However, in case the development violates the town planning requirements, you are the one who will suffer from financial losses. Always allocate time to go through these guidelines before the start of your project.