PA gives property owners an inch of wiggle room for ceiling heights
New circular adds 2cm leeway to sanitary regulations for existing buildings
The Planning Authority has relaxed its sanitary regulations to allow variations of up to 2cm from the minimum requirements for existing buildings.
The change, announced in a circular on Wednesday, means property owners and architects will get some leeway when ceiling heights, window or door sizes or backyard measurements fall marginally foul of sizes required by law.
Until now, the subsidiary legislation regulating such measurements stated that the authority could deviate from the exact measurements “in particular circumstances.”
The PA has now told architects and developers that it will consider deviations of up to 2cm for already built buildings to be a “minor variance” that will “normally be approved” in sanctioning and minor amendment applications.
“The Authority understands that sometimes, without any specific intent, during the execution of works, resultant physical development may vary slightly from that shown on the approved drawings,” it said.
Variations greater than 2cm will also be considered, the PA said, but “may require compensatory measures to ensure an equally adequate sanitary standard.” The circular did not elaborate on what form such compensatory measures could take.
By law, habitable rooms must be at least 2.6m high, with a minimum height of 2.1m for parking levels. Apertures in habitable rooms must have a minimum cumulative area of 1 metre squared and any property at least 15m deep must have a backyard that is at least 6m wide. Minimum depths for backyards vary according to the height of façades overlooking the backyard in question.
The circular states that the 2cm rule will apply "for existing buildings only."