Upon a proposal and report of the Services and Facilities Committee of the Central Municipal Council (CMC), the council yesterday passed a recommendation urging the Ministry of Municipality and Environment to allocate certain percentage of the ground floors of multi-storey buildings for commercial purposes.
The council has urged upon the Ministry to study the possibility of allocating specific percentage of the ground floor of the residential or administrative multi-storey buildings for commercial outlets. The ministry has also been recommended to identify the geographical areas where this proposal can be implemented and "these areas be treated on priority".
The recommendation was based on a proposal made by a member of the council and representative of the constituency No. 16, Mohammed Saleh Al Khayareen. In his proposal, Al Khayareen had indicated that “due to the development plans, demolishing of old buildings and hike in rent prices” shortage in shops and commercial outlets had become a notable phenomenon in many residential areas.
The officials from the Ministry of Municipality attended a meeting held by the Services and Facilities Committee said the ministry conducted study on the same issue including in Al Wakra and Al Khor. The study recommended that 10 percent of the ground floor at any multi-storey building to be allocated for business and the allocated area in the building should not exceed 100 meters.
The ministry is planning to have commercial outlets in the towers area and the plan includes real estate market and commercial streets, said the officials from the Ministry of Municipality during the meeting.
During the 38th session of the council held yesterday, the council also passed recommendation on treating the villages and farms in the outskirts of the cities same like any residential houses rather than considering them resort facilities.
Al Khayareen also presented to the council a proposal urging Kahramaa to deal with the residential houses in the outside areas as normal permanent houses of citizens instead of considering them as chalets or resorts. Because of this policy Kahramaa is making people who have no alternative houses to live in the city, pay QR 44,000 to 350,000 to get water and electricity supplies.
The legal status of these properties have been determined by the State Properties Department which considered these houses as resort facilitates rather than permanent residential because they are out out of the urban plan and accordingly
Kahrama decided the fees of water and electricity supplies, said Mubarak Ali Al Sulaiti, Director of Legal Affairs at the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa).
The council’s recommendation urged the corporation to accept these houses and reduce the supply fees.
The council has also passed during the meeting recommendations demanding the competent authorities to build highway linking Al Khor with Al Shamal city besides approval of street names at the Education
