The spatial expression of physical development controls in a fast growing Ghanaian city

Recognising the barriers to securing affordable housing through the land use planning system in Sub-Saharan Africa: A perspective from Ghana

“…For Barnett and Parnell (2016), recognising the specificities of the Global South experiences is therefore critical. Despite having a nationalised development rights system in place, substantiated evidence from existing Ghanaian housing and planning literature alongside interviews with senior planning experts indicates the weak control that land use planners have over housing land supply (Amos et al, 2015; Anokye et al, 2013; Baffour Awauah, 2016; Owusu-Ansah and Atta-Boateng, 2016; TCPD, 2015; World Bank, 2015). The rationale for securing affordable housing through the planning system is therefore weakened if evidence of betterment gain is hard to establish.…”

“…Yet, whilst the principle of capturing betterment value exists in theory, does it work in practice? Notwithstanding the legislative provisions, it has been demonstrated in numerous studies that a large proportion of development in Ghana has not complied with the development control regulations imposed by the aforementioned Acts (see Acheampang and Anokye, 2015; Acquaah-Harrison, 2004; Amos et al, 2015; Anokye et al, 2013; Antwi-Agyei et al, 2015; Baffour Awuah, 2016; Boamah et al, 2012; Fuseini and Kemp, 2015; Owusu-Ansah and Atta-Boateng, 2016; UN-HABITAT, 2009). In most cases, housing development in Ghana takes place on the ‘blind side’ of the planning system, going ahead without the granting of a formal building permit or planning approval.…”

“…Genuine capacity building of local authorities is also rare in African countries, often as a result of the unwillingness of central government to cede authority over key functions such as planning to these lower tiers of government (Owusu-Ansah and Atta-Boateng, 2016). For Fox (2014: 198), ‘The unwillingness of central government authorities to let go of and sincerely work towards building municipal capacities undermines the ability of local governments to deliver on their urban development mandates’.…”

“…As Amos et al (2015: 68) contend, ‘a considerable number of developed properties have no permits’, with this argument substantiated by numerous academics and policy makers alike (see e.g. Anokye et al, 2013; Baffour Awauah, 2016; Owusu-Ansah and Atta-Boateng, 2016; TCPD, 2015; World Bank, 2015). One of the planning experts confirmed in interview that the capacity constraints of existing local planners are likely to be the biggest challenge to policy implementation:The inadequacy of professional planners to supervise and lead the implementation of these [planning obligation] measures is a potential challenge.…”

“…The district of AMA is not only the most concentrated area, with 40 different residential schemes, it also has the most expensive housing, including those over US$250,000 median and mean price (mid-2016). Once the real estate developers have bought land from the Chiefs, very few of them seek building permits from the district planning authorities before they go ahead with development (see Amos et al, 2015; Anokye et al, 2013; Baffour Awauah, 2016; Owusu-Ansah and Atta-Boateng, 2016; TCPD, 2015; World Bank, 2015).…”