Port City Colombo’s DCR now enforced

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

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, localized 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.