Lands Commission recommends to Government to review Accra Re-development Schemes
Accra, June 8, GNA - The Lands Commission has decided to recommend to Government a revision of the implementation of the Accra Re-development Schemes.
A statement issued by the Commission copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Thursday, said: "The Commission has taken into consideration various views and concerns expressed by the public, and the Commission has decided to recommend to Government a revision of the implementation of the Schemes.
"Meanwhile, the Lands Commission has suspended the implementation of the Schemes and will not entertain any new applications. No new Re-development Schemes have been introduced by the current Lands Commission, other than the review and management of the previous Schemes."
It indicated that the Commission said when it assumed office in August 2009, it reviewed the Schemes and decided that, all those who were given allocations and had made full payments were to be allowed to take their leases, and the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing was to grant them vacant possession and relocate the sitting tenants.
The statement said all those who had made part payments were to be allowed to complete payments provided that the beneficiaries have not defaulted in the terms of the allocation letters, in all cases no allocation was approved in respect of people who had previously been given Government plots.
It said all previous allocations made against which no payment had been made, were withdrawn, while all allocations made to Embassies and High Commissions were approved.
"In the implementation of these decisions, it became necessary to consider swapping and relocating some of the beneficiaries, " the statement said.
The Commission said between 2004 and 2007, the process suffered a number of challenges, and it was discontinued. It was, however, resumed in October 2008 following approval from Government.
When the current Commission assumed office in August 2009, the process was reviewed and the following challenges were observed:
Protocol allocations were made to some institutions and individuals without going through the bidding process, and also not paying the commensurate amounts.
Affected residents in dilapidated bungalows could not be relocated because newly built residential units were allocated by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, to others who were not directly affected by the Re-development Schemes.
Government lessees in respect of the Re-development Schemes did not have vacant possession to their lands and were threatening court action.
Some monies from the Re-development account were spent on projects not directly related to the Schemes.
One other major challenge that confronted the Schemes was the introduction of the In-filling Scheme in 2006.
"For the benefit of the public we wish to state that most of the bungalows in the Cantonments area have been affected by the Redevelopment Scheme," it the statement said.
Giving a historical background, the Commission said the Accra Re-development Schemes were part of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan initiated in 1992 with the support of the United Nations Commission for Human Settlements (Habitat).
This Strategic Plan was published on 11th September, 1995 in accordance with Section19 of the Town and Country Planning Ordinance, 1945 (Cap 84).
The plan had four (4) schemes:
i. The Redevelopment and Investment Plan of Accra Central Area. It sought among other things, to transform the Central area of Accra into a modern Central Business District (CBD) with touristic potential that will be attractive to international investment and business but remaining sensitive to existing local residential functions through selective renewals. This was to cover the area from Independence Square to the Arts Council, areas around the Department of National Lotteries, Makola Market and satellite markets.
ii. The Ridge Circle Area Redevelopment Scheme This was planned to cover areas between Independence Avenue, Castle Road, Gamal Abdel Nasser Avenue within Ringway Estate and Ninth Avenue at Ridge. The aim was to create befitting modern business complexes with West African sub-regional focus in the form of business premises, shopping malls, conference facilities, residential and recreational facilities of the highest international standards, to enable Accra respond to the growing demands of the business environment.
iii. Airport City Planning Scheme (Revision of Part of Kotoka International Airport Area Development Plan) This was meant to promote the development of high profile business, touristic and recreational facilities to complement the Redevelopment and Investment Plan of Accra Central Area.
iv. Cantonments, Kanda/Switchback Road and Airport Residential Areas Redevelopment Schemes, this was to promote the redevelopment of parts of Government residential areas to achieve higher use density in the Cantonments, Kanda, Switchback Road and Airport Residential neighbourhoods in Accra.
In 1992 the Lands Commission in collaboration with the Town and Country Planning Department, and the Ministry of Works and Housing, played an active role in the development and implementation of the Cantonments, Ringway Estate (excluding State Housing stock), Kanda/Switchback Road and Airport Residential Areas Redevelopment Schemes.
The underlying objectives of the schemes were to increase the density of development whilst maintaining the character of the neighbourhoods as first class residential areas; increase and modernise the stock of residential properties (Government and private) to address the housing deficit; and improve the urban landscape.
A total of 159 dilapidated bungalows and flats in the subject areas were identified. Each of these bungalows occupied an average of 1.2 acres of land and at that time, required over 50,000,000.00 dollars (now GH¢5,000.00) to rehabilitate.
Additionally, maintenance of the large plot sizes by the occupants - civil and public servants - was a major challenge. On account of these facts, the Schemes were conceived and implemented in phases beginning with a pilot.
The Re-development Scheme was first piloted in 1992 through a collaboration of Town and Country Planning Department, the Ministry of Works and Housing, SSNIT and the then Lands Commission Secretariat, now Public and Vested Lands Management Division (PVLMD) of the Lands Commission, to demonstrate the feasibility of the policy.
Under the first pilot, nine Government bungalows at Cantonments were demolished and in their place 67 new residential units were built by SSNIT and leased for a term of 99 years to the general public.
Subsequently, four dilapidated bungalows were demolished at the 7th Avenue Extension, Ridge and in their place 12 residential units were built. The pilot also saw the demolition of three dilapidated bungalows to make way for the Embassy of Japan at Switchback Road.
Additional residential units were built to increase the housing stock.
Beneficiaries under this pilot were: SSNIT, the American Embassy, the Embassy of Japan, Ghana International School (for expansion of the School), the Ministry of Works and Housing; SSB Limited (now SG-SSB Ghana Ltd)
On the implementation, the Commission said as at 1998 no private individual had the opportunity to bid in the redevelopment process.
The implementation of Phase 1 of the Redevelopment Schemes was undertaken by a Technical Committee comprising the Ministry of Works and Housing, Lands Commission Secretariat (now PVLMD), Town and Country Planning Department, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and Land Valuation Board (now Land Valuation Division - LVD - of the Lands Commission).
A Cabinet sub-committee had oversight responsibility for the work of the Technical Committee which was reconstituted under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Works and Housing.
The membership comprised the Lands Commission Town and Country Planning Department, Two (2) Consultants namely, Consortium for Innovations in Human Settlement Development (CIHSD) and Akuffo and Associates who were co- opted to provide technical assistance.
Bidding Process; with the Government's policy of using the private sector as the engine of growth of the economy, the private sector was accordingly invited to participate in the Redevelopment Schemes.
A competitive bidding process was therefore instituted and in October 1999, an advertisement was placed in the National Dailies to invite the public to participate in a competitive bidding process.
Bids were evaluated and shortlisted bidders were invited for interview to show commitments including: evidence of ability to pay the agreed bid price and develop the land on schedule; willingness to wait for a minimum of nine months for the relocation of sitting tenants prior to the grant of the Right of Entry.
"In all these cases, leases were granted and the plots were NEVER SOLD," the statement said.
Redevelopment Account, as part of the project implementation, a Redevelopment Account was opened into which all monies accruing from the Schemes were paid.
The account was jointly managed by the Lands Commission Secretariat and the Ministry of Works and Housing.
Key Projects Financed from the Redevelopment Account Revenue generated from the lease transactions under the redevelopment scheme was used to build replacement residential five properties for the relocation of the occupants of the old and dilapidated bungalows affected by the Redevelopment Schemes, and for other public officials.
Four specific cases are worth mentioning: construction of Residential Units for Government Overall, 83 buildings comprising 169 residential units have been constructed under the Schemes to date.
Construction of Seven-Storey Office Complex at Ridge A seven-storey office complex at Ridge (near Ridge Hospital) has been constructed by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing with funds from the Redevelopment schemes. Government institutions including the Ghana Aids Commission, Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission and National Youth Employment Programme are currently in occupation.
Construction of Eight Blocks of Four-Storey Flats at Roman Ridge,a total number of eight blocks of 32 residential units were constructed with funds from the Redevelopment Schemes Account.