Businesses Have Extensions To Watch
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan – The Town & Country Planning Department will issue a statement letter to those carrying-out extensions and modifications of a building that violates the line, distance and electrical cable storage space regulations.

The statement will also touch on the issue of carrying-out business activities outside approved shop spaces, such as at the parking lot, walkways, landscape area and back of the shop at all business and light industrial buildings.

This was highlighted during a recent round table discussion between various government agencies including the Development Control Competent Authority of the Town and Country Planning Department and the Anti Corruption Bureau.

Other activities covered in the statement letters are the sealing and installing of a fence at the back of a shop for business, installing a barrier along a pathway that should be free to be used by the public, throwing rubbish indiscriminately that could affect the cleanliness of the surrounding and well as installing awning that obstructs pathways used for business and workshop activities.

Also included were placing water tanks or gas cylinders at parking spaces, emergency exits and landscape area, erecting temporary camps at a parking space to be used for car wash or selling of items for the festive season, installing a chain at a parking space meant for the public and installing a sign board without approval from Development Control Competent Authority of the Town and Country Planning Department (PBYLKK).

One of the tasks implemented by the Town and Country Planning Department as a Chair of the Development Control Competent Authority (PBYLKK) is enforcement as stated in the Town and Country Act (Development Control) 1972 (revised 1984) under section 6 (1).

It prohibits any land development or to develop, renovate, destroy, extend, renew any building or to construct access roads leading to a public road without getting written approval. from the authority.

A maximum fine of $20,000 or 12 months' imprisonment will be imposed on landowners and entrepreneurs who fail to obtain approval from the Development Control Competent Authority prior to conducting any development projects on their land. Subsequent offenders are liable to a fine of $500 per day or six months' imprisonment.

The procedure and action normally practiced is firstly, to identify land proven to carryout activities without the approval of PBYLKK or by receiving complaints, followed by making a report of the site. This will later be followed by a warning letter to the landowner cautioning them to stop the activity.

If this fails, a first statement letter is issued to the landowner ordering them to stop the activity within a specified time. Then a second letter stating a one-month period to comply with the regulation will be issued, followed by a warning letter for legal action and lastly monitoring.

Meanwhile among the activities where a statement letter is normally issued for private residential houses are as follows, building a house without approval, carrying-out extension, modification of the building that violates the line and distance as well as electrical cable storage space regulations.

Others include carrying-out business activities without PBYLKK approval, carrying-out earth works without any approval that could affect the surrounding areas well as carrying-out business activities that exceeds 2,000 sq. ft at land categorised under side business activity. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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