Ada West District Assembly begins community layout planning to improve safety 

The Ada West District Assembly has begun the creation of community layouts across parts of the district to improve accessibility, enhance orderly development and ensure that emergency response agencies can operate effectively.

As part of the exercise, the assembly has commenced the demolition of walls and some structures to create access routes and establish proper layouts within communities.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Jerry John Mordjifa Tanihu Mills-Nkrumah, the Ada West District Chief Executive (DCE), explained that many of the affected structures were erected at a time when the district was part of the former Dangme East District, a situation that made effective supervision and enforcement of planning regulations difficult.

According to him, little attention was paid then to the long-term implications of unregulated development, resulting in congested settlements and limited access routes.

Mr Mills-Nkrumah said although some landowners and property developers initially resisted the exercise, sustained engagement and public education had helped them appreciate the importance of proper spatial planning.

“When layouts are not properly planned, vehicle movement becomes extremely difficult. In the event of a fire outbreak, for instance, fire tenders may be unable to access affected homes because of narrow or blocked routes. By then, the damage would already have been done,” he said.

The DCE, therefore, urged landowners, developers, and land sellers to incorporate layouts into their planning processes, stressing the importance of leaving adequate space between adjoining properties.

“If you leave six feet between your structure and the next plot, and your neighbour does the same, you create a 12-foot access route that can comfortably allow vehicles to pass,” he explained.

He assured residents that the assembly remained committed to improving spatial planning standards across the district, noting that the exercise was aimed at enhancing safety, improving living conditions, and promoting sustainable community development.

GNA