HC annexe only if rules allow it: BBMP

The proposed seven-storied high court annexe building in Cubbon Park can be allowed only if the building plan complies with zoning regulations laid down by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). 

BBMP commissioner B H Anil Kumar said the approval for the building will be given only if the condition is met. "We, as the only sanctioning authority in the city, will go through the zoning regulations and assess whether the seven-storied building can be allowed near the green space and then take a decision."

The high court had recently granted permission for the seven-storied annexe building after demolishing the existing structure.  

The Zoning Regulations and Comprehensive Development (CDP) map of Gandhinagar division clearly shows the identified location inside the Cubbon Park boundary. 

A committee headed by Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, set up for approvals in the matter, had received objections from the Horticulture Department about the height of the proposed building.

A senior official from the department explained: "We had raised an objection about the height of the proposed building citing environmental impact on the park. They had also sought additional space for the building, but we refused it. Finally, we had to make them stick to the existing area without axing the trees, to which they agreed. But our original argument was that it should be a one-floor building."

However, a BBMP official maintained that the court order was not final. "We, as the BBMP, will have to assess the impact and norms involved in building construction in the city."

The seven-storied building, he said, may definitely harm the vicinity of the park and it will also have an environmental impact. "There may be provisions for government buildings but rules are the same for everyone," he said.

Choking the lungspace

According to the BDA’s zoning regulation under the existing Revised Master Plan (RMP) 2015, Cubbon Park’s total area is estimated to be 309 hectares. Public and semi-public buildings are built on 141.76 hectares, taking up 45.78% of the area.

The actual green space (park) is 115.53 hectares, constituting 37.31% of the area. Traffic and transportation account for 46.61 hectares (15.05%). Commercial establishments operate on 4.27 hectares of the total area.

The court's ruling permits a seven-storied building with each floor of height 3.60 meters. The total height, including two basements, would be 80 ft.