Earthquake retrofit regulation to accelerate renovation

It will now be possible to add 2.5 additional floors to buildings as part of National Outline Plan 38 or Tama 38 (allowing retrofitting of existing structures to make them earthquake-proof in exchange for additional building rights), after the ministerial committee for internal affairs and services today approved the third amendment to the plan. The National Planning and Building Commission approved the amendment three weeks ago.

Under the amendment, it will be possible to add up to 2.5 floors to existing buildings retrofitted to withstand earthquakes, and obtain building rights to another lot in exchange for the retrofit. The amendment originally allowed the addition of 2.5 floors to buildings in poor areas only, and 1.5 floors in wealthy neighborhoods. But following the recommendation of the investigator who heard the objections to the amendment, the government decided to apply the new rules uniformly nationwide.

The Ministry of Interior says that the amendment will further encourage the renovation of old buildings.

Source Globes