Ajman sets new construction rule

(CHANDRA BALAN)

Ajman Municipality has asked construction companies to seek approval for the height of each building’s entrance from street level before starting work.

Under the new rule, all builders must comply with height regulations specified by the municipality to help ensure entrances to structures in similar areas do not dip below or rise way above street level, said Mohammed bin Omair, assistant director-general for Technical Affairs, Ajman Municipality and Planning Department.

The issue has become a growing problem as construction of commercial and residential properties spreads into areas that do not have paved roads yet. As a result, some buildings have been built without clarification about the level the municipality had planned for the streets. Rapid growth in areas such as Al Jurf, Al Zahra and Al Muweihat, in particular, have resulted in such problems.

According to the new rule, the municipality’s survey staff will measure and specify the level immediately after a contractor processes the building licence, Omair said, adding: “The municipality staff will also fix signs at the site for the level.”

Entrances of buildings and villas can only be 30cm higher than the street’s level as per the new regulations. However, the ground level of a building or a villa can be raised up from that height.

“The entrance level is set prior to the construction of the building itself. And, if the entrance required level is observed, there will not be buildings that are lower than the street’s level,” he said.

Previously, it was common for contractors to start work as soon as they had obtained a building licence. And many projects were carried out prior to the visit of the municipality survey staff.

The new municipality rules, Omair stressed, are intended to prevent mistakes and buildings on the same street from having different entrance levels.

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