The Lagos State government has issued a 30-day ultimatum for owners and developers who have converted buildings to other uses not approved to regularise the properties.

The general manager of Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), Kehinde Osinaike, gave the ultimatum in a statement on Tuesday.

“Failure to revert to the original approved plan of LASPPPA by owners of converted buildings within the next thirty days will attract the full wrath of the law,” he said.

According to the statement by Abimbola Emmdin-Umeh, the spokesperson for LASPPPA, Mr Osinaike decried increasing illegal conversion of building use, especially residential ones, for other benefits without the government’s approval.

He noted that the illegal conversion of buildings to other purposes contradicts and violates the original master plan of the state for the achievement of a sustainable Lagos.

He called on owners and developers of illegally converted buildings and other types of illegal developments to begin regularising them by visiting LASPPPA offices nearest them for guidance.

He insisted that strict adherence to the Operative Development Plans was “non-negotiable for a sustainable Lagos State”.

Mr Osinaike explained that the housing stock available for Lagos residents was usually estimated by a planning permit granted for residential purposes.

He said that when such buildings get illegally converted, the official records automatically become unreliable, creating disequilibrium “in the projected proportion of land earmarked for different categories of uses for different locations”.

He said that LASPPPA had the mandate to reject any application seeking conversion of property from the initially approved use that had been specifically designated for a particular location.

Speaking on assessment rates for processing planning permits, the general manager explained that the scheduled fees worked out for the process were non-negotiable.

He emphasised that all physical planning-related fees should be paid to Lagos State government accounts by applicants and not through touts.

(NAN)