Port City Colombo’s Development Control Regulations come into force

Port City Colombo Economic Commission Acting Director General Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrama briefing the attendees on DCR 

Sri Lanka’s most comprehensive development regulations – the Development Control Regulations (DCR) – introduced by Port City Colombo, was Gazetted recently and is now being enforced. An awareness program on the DCR conducted by the Colombo Port City Economic Commission was held at Port City Colombo, yesterday. 

The DCR was introduced by the project company, CHEC Port City Colombo, in 2018. It was prepared by Singapore-based Subrana Jurong, one of Asia’s largest urban, industrial, and infrastructure consulting firms with technical assistance of the UK-based prominent engineering consultancy firm Atkins. 

The DCR was incorporated to the Port City master plan which was designed by a Sweden-based planning consultant, SWECO. The DCR was further evaluated by the Urban Development Authority of Sri Lanka and related Government agencies before it was Gazetted. The Acting Director General of Colombo Port City Economic Commission Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrama chaired the program and explained the importance of introducing the DCR which can be a benchmark to other city developments in Sri Lanka. Dr. Wickrama explained the role and responsibility of other Government stakeholder agencies in implementing the DCR within Port City Colombo. 

The Coastal Conservation Resources Management Department Director-General Eng. Ranawake, Civil Aviation Authority Director General Capt. Themiya Samantha, Fire Department Chief Fire Officer P.D.K.A. Wilson, Road Development Authority Director General L.V.S. Weerakoon, Urban Development Authority Chairman Lalith Wijeratne, National Building Research Organisation Director General Dr. Asiri Karunawardane, National Building Research Organisation Senior Scientist Chinthaka Rathnasiri Central Environment Authority Deputy Director General – Environmental Protection Dr. Sanjaya Rathnayake, Environmental Management and Assessment Division of the Central Environment Authority Deputy Director General N.S. Gamage, Central Environment Authority Director – Legal Manjula Wimalasena, CHEC Porty City Manager – Urban Planning Aruna Bandara, and CHEC Port City Consultant W.A.D.D. Wijesooriya also attended the awareness program. 

Development Control Regulations for Port City Colombo are formed to benefit developers, residents, investors, and every other stakeholder including the surrounding community.

The DCR will regulate the development intensity, set up, and height of buildings on any of Port City Colombo’s plots. It serves as an effective planning tool to regulate development in a logical and orderly fashion. The DCR provides landowners and developers with a clear picture of what can be developed on any particular plot within the city.

The DCR is divided into 4 volumes; Urban Design, Utility, Landscape, and Sustainability. The development control regulations establish a framework for the development of building masses, land uses, solid void ratios, green and public spaces, localised characteristics, utility network and usage, and sustainability measures, among other things.  

The Sustainable solutions include means to reduce net water consumption through the implementation of water conservation measures and use of low water consumption fixtures, fittings and equipment have been included, whilst the use of renewable energy solutions, methods to enhance environmental quality, recycling of wastewater and disposal, improved public space and sustainable transport methods etc. have been taken into account and clear solutions included.

Spanning over 269 hectares of land reclaimed from the ocean, Port City Colombo will be Sri Lanka’s first planned city, where everything will be within walking or cycling distance.  Roads, cycling lanes, walking paths and locations of buildings are all planned to make everything accessible with little or no motorisation. 

The DCR plays a key role in achieving Port City Colombo’s vision of building a world class city for South Asia, generating business, tourism and supporting a high quality of life.