By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government through Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) has promised a further cut in the turnaround time of processing permits from its present 12 to 13 days to 10 working days.
This was disclosed by Mr Kehinde Osinaike, General Manager, LASPPPA during a courtesy visit of the National Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Mr Olutoyin Ayinde, to the authority’s officer in the state.
He said the essence of the reduction was to make the collection of physical planning permits less cumbersome, less time-consuming and seamless in Lagos.
Others on the visit included delegates from the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA) and Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Authority (LASPEMA).
According to him, the agency will further reduce the processing time to enhance previous improvements that have been initiated to make the planning permit processing easy.
He noted that the step was being taken to entice and encourage owners and developers to submit applications for permits in compliance with the law.
“Already, we are getting the process done within 12-13 working days.
“The authority is working assiduously to ensure a reduction in the turnaround time for processing physical planning permits.
“We hope to reduce the turnaround time of processing applications to 10 working days,” he said.
Mr Osinaike listed other achievements by the authority to include the preparation of 30 Action Area Plans to guide physical development in different communities in the State as well as provision of necessary social amenities in such areas.
He also said that the authority had commenced the implementation of the Land Use Planning and Analysis Report (LUPAR) guidelines for assessing physical planning permit applications.
He said that the LUPAR guidelines, as directed by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Idris Salako, was to ensure compliance with the extant Town Planning regulations of 2019, as amended.
In his remarks, Mr Olutoyin Ayinde, the NITP National Chairman, said the visit was part of the institute’s nationwide visit to all States of the Federation to appraise their level of compliance with Urban Development Laws.
Mr Ayinde expressed satisfaction with the level of professionalism by the three Lagos State agencies- LASPPPA, LASURA and LASPEMA, under the supervision of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
He, however, called for synergy and dynamism among the agencies in order to meet the evolution and development in Physical Planning practices as well as the expectations of the State Government.
“Especially as it relates to the T.H.E.M.E.S. (Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism as well as Security and Governance) Development Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu,” he said.
Modupe Gbadeyanka