Regulatory Bodies and

Regulations
Samantha Manawadu
History
The Great Fire of
London
 What is Building Regulation

Building Regulations set standards for the design and

construction of buildings to ensure the
 safety
 health for people,
 Facilities to disabilities
 help conserve Energy
Building Regulations
 Why We Need Zoning ..
 Role of towns as a physical entity & economic unit.
Main driving forces in the town are the activities of the
individuals.
Needed to canalize these forces in a planned manner.
Comprehensive Development Plan(CDP): an instrument to
achieve these objectives.
Competition between the existing & potential land users decide
the patterns of land uses.
CDP serves as a framework & provides guidelines for developing
a town in a planned and orderly manner.
DEFINITION OF ZONING

“Zoning is the physical division of a corporate urban area into

districts or zones for the purpose of regulating the use of land &
building, height & bulk of structures, density & plot coverage.”

VagaleL.R. (1970)

“separate area with particular function:an area regarded as separate

or kept separate, especially one with a particular use or function.”

Encarta Dictionary
OBJECTIVE & SCOPE OF ZONING

Main objectives of zoning:

Direct & regulate development

Segregation of incompatible uses

Redevelopment of an urban areas in appropriate direction

Ensure proper uses of land & buildings.

Prevention of congestion in accommodations

Zoning consists of two elements:

(I). Maps

shows various “ districts” or zones

shows land use, height, site coverage density

(II). Written text

regulations that apply to each of the different districts/zones

general description of the regulations
Height Zoning
Indicates the maximum heights of buildings in different zones.
Maximum permissible height is governed by Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
Bulk Zoning
Bulk of a building in relation to site area, plot coverage and height.
Ensuring light, air, ventilation, safety , privacy & freedom of movement.
Density Zoning
Objective: prevent congestion in accommodation.
Density is measured in terms of number of people or dwellings per acre/hectare of gross
area or net area.
Density is a measure of intensity of development.
Aesthetic Zoning
Applied for an area to preserve lands with buildings and other elements .
Aesthetic value & Architectural value
Regulate the design, location and display techniques of advertisements.
Historic Area Zoning
Areas and buildings which have historical importance.
Peripheral Zoning
City grow in a haphazard and undesirable manner
Avoid this situation peripheral zoning can be used. Extensive
Cultural Zoning
Protect areas devoted to cultural uses some times need protection from non -compatible
uses. Examples: Town hall, museum.
Special Purpose Zoning
Areas which are need for special purposes.
Ensure efficient aviation and safety and welfare of the surrounding community. Examples:
military zones, parliament zones.

There are other several zones such as spot zones , transition zones, performance zones,
standard zones, rural zones, fringe area zones, free zones differed zones etc.
ENFORCEMENT OF PLANNING & RELATED LAWS
PERTAINING TO LAND USE ZONING IN SRI LANKA

•Housing and Town Improvement Ordinance No. 19 of 1915.

•Town and Country Planning Ordinance No. 13 of 1946.

•Urban Development Authority law No. 41 of 1978.

•Urban Development Authority Amendment Law No. 04 of 1982

•National Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980.

•Coast Conservation Act No. 57 of 1981.

HOUSING AND TOWN IMPROVEMENT ORDINANCE NO. 19 OF 1915

First legislation operate in terms of land use zoning and urban development.
Address the existing problems of insanitary housing conditions and over crowing in urban
areas.
Purpose: provide better housing for the people and to improve the towns.
Introduce sanitary and environmental standards to improve the quality of housing.
Provide powers to the respective local authorities to exercise authority.
Scope it is limited to Municipal Council and Urban Council areas.
Provide for the exercise of development control in accordance with a set of building
regulations .
Regulations were concerned with controlling height, light, ventilation, set backs and
accessibility.
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ORDINANCE NO.13 OF 1946

Preamble: " An Ordinance to authorize the making of schemes with respect to the planning and
development of land in Ceylon., to provide for the protection of natural amenities and the
preservation of buildings and objects of interest or beauty, to facilitate the acquisition of land for the
purpose of giving effect to such schemes, and to provide for matters incidental to or connected with
the matters a foresaid.“

Under this Ordinance, there is a legal provision for making of improvement schemes.
These schemes are important in terms of urban development as well as land use zoning.
Scope of the planning scheme:
control the development of the land comprised in the area to which the
scheme applies
secure proper sanitary conditions, amenity and convenience;
preserve existing buildings and places of architectural, historic or artistic interest and places of
natural beauty.
URBANDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY LAW NO 41 OF 1978 AND ITS AMENDMENTS-Main
objective of this Act is to promote integrated planning.

UDA has substantial powers with regard to physical planning in declared urban areas.
In PART II under the powers and functions of the Authority,

8a -provides 'to carry out integrated planning and physical development within and among such areas.
8c -provides 'to formulate development plans including capital investment plans".
8i -provides " to formulate and implement urban land use policy in such areas.“

UDA Law have significance effects in terms of land use zoning and urban development. -Development
plan is prepared with the objective of utilization of land for its optimum use for economic and physical
development of an area.
Considering the existing land use pattern and the function of the urban area, land is allocated for
various uses such as commercial, residential, industries etc.
Through zoning this development can be controlled, regulate and direct towards a better physical and
economic utilization of land.
According to the Amendment Law of UDA No. 04 of 1982, Section 8 -j (1) (2) (3) indicates that, the
Zoning regulations indicate what uses are allowed and what uses are prohibited in a particular zone.
COASTCONSERVATION ACT NO 57 OF 1981
Law has been entrusted with the task of preparing a Coastal Zone Management Plan to regulate
development within the zone.
Objectives of the Coastal Zone Management Plan are:
to regulate and control development activities within the Coastal zone;
to make provision for the formulation and execution of schemes of work for Coast
Conservation within the Coastal Zone.
to make consequential amendments to certain written laws and to provide for
matters connected there with incidental thereto.
Section 14 : Control and regulate the development activities in this coastal zone
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which is issued by the Central Environmental Authority
Apart from the Coast Conservation Act, UDA too has the power dealing with development control
activities in the coastal zone. UDA has taken over the powers of controlling any development within a
1km distance from the mean high water level. Therefore, any development activity which is supposed
to come up in these areas should get prior approval from the UDA.
Regulatory Bodies
• Urban Development Authority (UDA )
• Local Authorities( MC’s, UC’s, PS’s)
• Fire Service Departments ( CMC and Other Local Authorities)
• Sri Lanka Institute of Develop Administrations ( SLIDA ) ( Formerly ICTAD)
• Condominium Management Authority (CMA )
• Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB )
• National Water Supply And Drainage Board ( NWSDB )
• Central Environmental Authority ( CEA)
• Land Reclamation And Development Corporation (SLRDC)
• Irrigation Department
 Regulatory Bodies - Contd ……

• Road Development Authority ( RDA )

• Provincial Road Development Authority ( PRDA)

• Ministry of Agricultural ( Cultivation Lands )

• Divisional Secretariats

• Coastal Conservation Departments

• Disable Authority ( Differently Able )

• Railway Department

• Department of Civil Aviation

• Ministry of Defense
 Regulatory Bodies - Contd ……

• Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission

• Department of Archeology
• Ministry of Religious ( Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Muslims )
• Coconut Development Authority
• Rubber Development Department
• Sri Lanka Tourist Board