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Phase 3 – Approval of plan

3. Approval of plan

Now that your plan has been drawn, it is time to get it APPROVED.

Why is approval necessary?

Getting your plan approved is necessary before embarking on any construction project. It is also a prerequisite for accessing financing options. Additionally, an approved building plan is a guide for the contractor to follow when constructing your home. It is also necessary to estimate your project’s cost. Plans are a necessary guide throughout the building process.
There are two main statutory bodies that are involved in the approval process. They are:

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Mayor & City/ Town Councils

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Mayor & City/ Town Councils
see website
The Mayor and City/ Town Councils are responsible for approving plans for persons building in the Capital city of Georgetown and the nine(9) townships which are Mabaruma, Anna Regina, Corriverton, New Amsterdam, Rosehall, Bartica, Mahdia,Lethem and Linden.
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Requirements

In order to initiate the building application process, the following documents and steps are required for the various Municipalities.

Mabaruma

  1. Applicant purchases Building Application form from the Town Council.
  2. The application is filled out by the applicant and returned to the Town Council Office along with the relevant documents such as Building Plans and Ownership of Land Document. A processing fee will be paid at this submission.
  3. The Town Clerk will then examine the application along with the documents submitted.
  4. A visit will be made to the site along with the Environmental Officer.
  5. The application and documents submitted will be presented to the council at it’s monthly statutory meeting for approval.
  6. If approved, the Town Clerk will then inform the applicant via letter.
  7. N.B. The Mayor and Town Council only gives approval for residential building applications. All commercial building applications are  forwarded to the Central Board of Health for approval.

Georgetown

  1. Properly filled out Building Application Form- this could be uplifted from the City Engineer’s Building or from the town clerk’s office.
  2. Certified copy of Ownership Documents
    1. Transport
    2. Title
    3. Lease
    4. Power of Attorney (P.O.A.—updated)
      – this document allows another person to act in your absence to purchase, sell, finance or refinance a home.
    5. Agreement of sales & Document (s) of Authorization
      – these documents protect the owner against his home being sold to someone else.
  3. Three (3) copies of Building Plans showing:
    1. All plan views—including site plan (Please note that building plan should fit on one paper since multiple sheets would not be accepted)
    2. At least two elevations
  4. Copy of Survey plan for the plot of land where the works will be executed (showing main and access routes)
  5. Three (3) copies of Structural Building Plans showing:
    1. Foundation details —including site plan
    2. Column and Beam layout with details
    3. At least two sectional elevations
  6. Copy of Rates & Taxes receipt verifying payment for the current year
  7. Processing Fee
    This is determined upon the submission of the application.

Corriverton

  1. Applicant purchases Building Application form from the Town Council Office.
  2. The application is filled out by the applicant and returned to the Town Council Office along with the relevant documents
  3. The Town Clerk will then examine the application along with the documents submitted.
  4. A visit will be made to the site along with the Local Sanitary Authority.
  5. A further visit and inspection of the site is made by the Public Health Inspector.
  6. The applicant will then be informed whether his application has been approved or not.
  7. N.B. The Council only approves residential construction at a fee. Commercial properties are recommended by the council and approved by the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CHPA).

Rosehall 

  1. Site Inspection- ensure lit is free from overgrowth.
  2. Photocopy of Land Documents- Transport, Lease and Title.
  3. Ensure rates and taxes are being paid.
  4. Preparation of building plans- four(4) copies with application form and processing fees fully paid.
  5. Inspection by Public Health Inspector to ensure there is no building breach.
  6. Present application at the statutory meeting for approval or recommendation to the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CHPA) if it is for commercial activity.
  7. Once approval is granted, construction can begin. Monitoring and site visits will be done during the construction phase to ensure buildings are built according to approved plan.

Bartica

  1. Three (3) copies of your building plan.
  2. One(1) pair of the building application form purchased at the town council’s office.
  3. Copy of transport, title or lease for the land you want to build on.
  4. If the transport, title or lease is not in your name, you would have to acquire a permission letter from the property owner.
  5. Take all the documents over to the sanitary department of the hospital. They will fill the information onto the form, approve it and then you would have to present it to the town council. N.B. this process takes approximately one(1) month for the person to get approval and the building application is valid for one (1) year.
  6. After approval, you are required to give the town council seven (7) days notice before you commence construction.

Mahdia

  1. A filled building application form.
  2. A copy of the building plan depicting the following:

a.Floor Plan

b.Site Plan

c.Two (2) elevations plan (front and side)

  1. Document  of ownership of land.
  2. If the developer is not the owner of the land, then a copy of the following is required along with the document of ownership from the owner 

a.Letter of Permission

b.Tenancy of Agreement

  1. Copy of identification card
  2. Copy of Tin Certification

Lethem

  1. Building application form purchased from the Lethem Town Council.
  2. Three(3) copies of building plans depicting the following:

a. Site plan at 1/16″=1′-0″

b. 2 elevations at 1/8″=1′-0″ scale

c. Floor Plan at 1/8″=1′-0″ scale

  1. Plan must clearly state type of development desired and all measurements must be shown.
  2. Copy of document of ownership (Transport, title, lease, etc.).  If the developer is not the owner of the land , then a notarized copy of the following is required along with the copy of the document of ownership of the owner.

a. Tenancy Agreement; or

b. Letter of Permission

  1. Copy of Tin certificate
  2. Copy of identification or passport
  3. Copy of survey plan of lot and processing fee.
  4. All plans must be clearly drawn.
  5. plans must allow enough space for placement of official stamp without covering information on plan.
  6. Once all documentation have been provided, residential plans are processed and approved by the mayor and town council of Lethem.

Linden

  1. Building application form from the Linden Mayor & Town Council.
  2. Three(3) copies of building plans, depicting the following:

a.Site plan at 1/16″=1′-0″

b.Two (2) elevations at 1/8″=1′-0″ scale

c.Floor Plan at 1/8″=1′-0″ scale

  1. Floor plans must show type of development desired and all measurements must be shown. 
  2. Copy of document of ownership (Transport, Title, Lease, etc).

N.B.       

  1. All plans must be properly drawn.
  2. Plans must be allow enough space for placement of official stamp without covering up any information on the plan.
  3. No construction should commence before approval of building plans from council.
  4. Applicant (where applicable) must pay all outstanding rates & taxes.
  5. In the absence of the document of ownership, a copy of the receipt (fully paid) will be accepted from the Central Housing & Planning Authority.
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Building Application process (Residential)

1. Mayor & City Council

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Applications are taken to this Agency and are processed between two departments i.e. the Public Health Department and the Building Inspectorate section of the City Engineer’s Department. For applications that are submitted for approval outside of the sewerage areas and are for just residential purposes only, the expected processing time is twenty-one (21) days. This period will provide for the applications to be properly checked and site inspected by the respective officers assigned to the area then forwarded for approval.

2. Applications forwarded to GWI

For those applications that fall within the sewerage areas listed, the processing time will be a bit longer since those applications will have to be sent to the Guyana Water Inc. The sewerage areas are within:
Independence Boulevard to Seawall Road and Water Street to Vlissengen Road
Tucville.
The timeframe will vary in this case since the applicant will have to ensure that the necessary processing fees are paid and that the utility bill(s) are in order or cleared at this agency before their application is processed and returned to the Mayor & City Council.

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Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC)

Persons building outside of Georgetown are required to visit their Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) for their plan to be approved.

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REQUIREMENTS

In order to initiate the building application process, the following documents are required. 

  • Three (3) Copies of the Building plan showing site and elevation plans.
    (N.B. House plans must be on ONE (1) single sheet of paper showing site, ground floor and elevations).
  • One Copy of transport, title lease or permission letter (permission ought to be obtained from the proprietor and signed by Commissioner of Oaths to affidavits or justice of the peace. Also, if there is more than one name on the transport or title, permission ought to be sought and notarized by the Commissioner of Oaths to affidavits or justice of the peace.
  • One building application form purchased from the NDC responsible for your area filled out accordingly.
  • One copy of the applicant’s National Identification Card showing Bio-Data Information.
  • The processing fee must be paid to the N.D.C.
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Procedure for Approval of plan

1. Submit Plans

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All plans must be submitted at least three (3) weeks before the Council’s statutory meeting.
For more information relating to your specific NDC, please click on the link below.
Neighbourhood Democratic Councils | Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development

2. Approval

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All Residential buildings not more than 2 storeys will be approved by the Council. 3 storey buildings are forwarded to the CHPA for approval.

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What happens after your plan has been approved?

  • Once your plan has been approved by the council, you will be asked to return to your NDC to uplift your approved plan
  • Upon approval, you will be required to sign all three (3) copies of your approved building plan. After which, a copy will be retained by the NDC to put on file and the remaining two (2) will be given to you.
  • After this, residential home building can commence.
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What happens if your plan is not approved?

  • If your plan is not approved by the council, the statutory officer in charge would identify the errors/omissions on the plan and send it to the council and then the plan will be given to the residential home builder informing him/her of what needs to be corrected. In addition, if any outstanding documents are omitted, those would also be listed on the plan to be submitted.
  • After the errors have been corrected and the relevant supporting documents submitted then the plan can be re-submitted for approval by the council.
  • The council will then review and approve the re-submitted plan and then residential home building can commence.