Yinka Kolawole
The Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON) has denounced the stance of architects that town planners should not be allowed to approve architectural drawings under the Planning and Building Control Laws.

In a statement, ATOPCON noted that registered town planners are professionals who are equipped with the intellectual know how and ethical justification to issue permit to building plans as prepared by architects and other relevant professionals in the sector.

It would be recalled that at a recent forum in Lagos, architects insinuated that planners may not have the requisite skill to approve architectural, engineering and surveying drawings, contending that they should concentrate on planning approvals.
But quoting section 34(a_e) of the law for the administration of Physical Planning, Urban Development, Urban Regeneration and Building Control of the state, the town planners argued that planning permit goes beyond the issuance of statutory consent to building plans to other core areas, as contained in the law.

The statement stressed that planning permit is considered as the provisional consent issued by town planning regulatory agency before the commencement of any physical development project in state and also a preliminary phase towards securing building approval.

They concurred with the provisions of Section 25(1a) of the enacted law, which makes the issuance of planning permit the prerogative of planning professionals, adding that this is in line with international practices.

The group also chided architects for attributing the decay in the city to the failure of planners in their professional duties, noting that most urbanised cities in the world such as New York, London, Tokyo among others had undergone urban renewal exercise as a means towards rejuvenating infrastructure decay. It added that this was not in any way a sign that planners in those societies are lacking in professional competence and skill.

The town planners commended the bill as an attempt towards the restoration of sanity into the built environment. It noted that while, the bill is widely regarded as a broad based regulation that recognises the contribution of the varied stakeholders in the built industry, it becomes illogical that the same law is criticised as a result of a provision that restricts the issuance of planning permits as the exclusive prerogative of town planners.