In reference to the letter, ‘Seeking clarity on building boundary walls’, published in the Opinion page of the Bulletin on September 2, the Department of Town and Country Planning would like to provide further clarity on the issue raised with regards to building setbacks.
Building setback, or commonly referred to as building line in Brunei, is one of the planning requirements or parameters set by the agency that must be adhered to when considering planning permission applications for all types of buildings, including housing, commercial and industry. The purpose of imposing building lines is to create an orderly built environment to guarantee the privacy, safety and well-being of the community.
Building line is a minimum distance which a building must be set back and measured from lot boundaries to roof eaves of a building. This includes unwalled structures such as car porches, garages, open terraces and patios. For building line facing the adjacent private land, a minimum of three metres is still applicable.
Any complaints of possible encroachment to the building lines is a breach of planning control and will need to be further investigated by the planning authority.
Normally, a notice will be issued to the owner to carry out remedial works. Failure to comply with the notice is an offence under Section 38 of the Town and Country Planning Act. Further the encroachment itself is also an offence under Section 23 of the Act.
Both offences are punishable upon conviction to a maximum fine of BND200,000.
Where the owner fails to remove or demolish these encroaching structures, the planning authority may, as a last resort, carry out these works and recover all costs and expenses from the owner as a civil debt.
For any further inquiries, the public can contact the Department of Town and Country Planning at 2382591 or its hotline at 8200222 (WhatsApp texts only).
Department of Town & Country Planning,
Ministry of Development
