State government relaxes norms for height restriction on non-high rise buildings

The State government has amended the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019, relaxing the height restriction on non-high rise buildings from 18.3 metres to 19.5 metres.

Previously, any building exceeding 18.3 metres in height was categorised as a high rise building requiring stringent norms for construction, when compared with non-high rise buildings.

Owing to the restrictions in height of 18.3 metres for non high rise buildings, many builders have been facing issues in receiving completion certificates of homes in the non-high rise category. Owing to the new amendment, homes will get better ventilation and aesthetics, with improved height of ceiling.

According to the amendment, sites abutting and gaining access from roads of width 12 metres and above shall be deemed to have been zoned for commercial use zone for Chennai Metropolitan Area and sites abutting and gaining access from roads of width 9 metres and above shall be deemed to have been zoned as commercial use zone for the rest of Tamil Nadu.

The minimum road width for buildings including conference halls, exclusive multi storeyed parking lots and air conditioned cinema theatre with single screen is 12 metres.

The minimum road width for exhibition halls, community halls, kalyana mandapams in municipal corporations and municipalities will be 15 metre while the road width will be 12 metres in Town panchayats and village panchayats.

The minimum road width for star hotels and multiplexes or malls will be 18 metres.

The qualifying road width shall be available continuously for a length of 100 metres from any one side of the site or combined on both sides and shall be calculated excluding the plot frontage of the site. There shall be a road intersection within the said 100-metre stretch; where there is no such intersection within the said 100-metre stretch, the qualifying road width shall be available continuously for a minimum length of 3,250 metres in areas falling within the Chennai Metropolitan Area and the municipal corporations and for a minimum length of 100 metres in all other areas. The prescribed road stretch abutting the site may be straight or curved, zigzag, or a combination of the above.

The amendments have also changed the rules pertaining to swimming pools.