Lutyens might get bigger houses with basements

The Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ) is soon likely to have more houses, higher buildings and basements too if an official proposal under consideration is approved. Comments have been sought from the public by the government on the draft guidelines, which propose allowing up to three-storey buildings in place of the single-storey colonial bungalows and more dwelling units on larger plots in this largely green zone of the national Capital.

The draft also proposes to reduce the total area under LBZ from 28.73 <g data-gr-id="21">sq</g> km to 23.6 <g data-gr-id="22">sq</g> km by excluding eight residential areas and a couple of commercial districts.

Areas such as Bengali Market, Golf Links, Sardar Patel Marg, Panchsheel Marg and Jorbagh may see new high-rises coming up in the near future once the proposal is finalised. This is because such areas would then be covered by the Delhi Master Plan guidelines which provide for up to 300 FAR (floor area ratio).

“The biggest reform is to remove the state of freeze that the area has been in for almost three decades. However, we have set restrictions to ensure that the green character of the area is not tampered with. The proposal will empower people to have flexibility in planning and construction. At present, there is no norm for height, and when an existing bungalow is reconstructed, the height and coverage have to be the same as that of the old one,“ an official said.

Sources in the urban development ministry said the proposed reduction in <g data-gr-id="34">area</g> will bring the LBZ close to the original boundary envisaged by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1912.“Many of the areas that are 

proposed to be taken out were included in 2003 when the guidelines were revised. 

Moreover, almost all of them are now completely transformed, commercialised areas or modern colonies, which don’t bear any resemblance to the LBZ character and retaining green areas which were included in LBZ in 1988,” said a ministry spokesperson.