Property owners in the core Bangalore areas have hit a jackpot in BDA Master Plan 2015. They have been offered an incentive in the form of additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR) to go almost completely commercial.

The plan has granted additional FAR up to 3.25 to property owners in main thoroughfares of M G Road, Brigade Road, Residency Road, Madras Bank Road, St Mark’s Road and others (under Business Zone), while old areas like Chikpet and Cottonpet (under Central Commercial Zone) have got up to 2.5 FAR.

FAR is the ratio of total built-up area and total area of the plot. It is calculated by dividing total area of site with total built-up area. The height of a building, therefore, depends on percentage of built-up area.

FAR, under the new plan, depends on the road width and the coverage area. For instance, 3.25 FAR is allowed for properties facing 100 ft road and if the building coverage area is 40 per cent. Similarly, FAR of 2.25 is allowed for properties facing 40 to 60 ft roads and the coverage area of 50 per cent.

“The aim is to support the formation of secondary centres in main thoroughfares and re-develop the pete areas,” BDA Commissioner Shankarlinge Gowda said.

The plan has also allowed all major commercial activities falling under Commercial-3 category, Industrial-3 and Transport-3. These include commercial and corporate offices, retail shopping complexes, restaurants and hotels, loading and unloading platforms, weigh bridges, filling stations and several others. It has allowed for residential uses too.

Besides, the plan has identified all major arterial and sub-arterial roads as Mutation Corridors, where all commercial activities up to Commercial-4 category are allowed. FAR up to 3.25 for properties facing 100 ft roads are allowed.

But there is a rider. To avail of Mutation Corridor benefits, the property owner should provide entry and exit points at the front portion only so the abutting residential areas remain unaffected from the commercial activities. Plots facing the corridor should have a minimum frontage of 12 metres.

The plan has identified major and minor roads in residential areas, which already have commercial activities along them, as Commercial Axes. Commercial activities here are allowed.

Activities allowed