By Samuel Ackon, GNA
Assin Fosu (C/R), Oct. 16, GNA – The Assin Fosu Municipal Assembly has unveiled a Structural Plan for the Assin Fosu urban area to guide physical development and respond adequately to the Municipality’s growing population.
The initiative is being supported by the German Development Corporation (GIZ).
Speaking at a stakeholders’ consultative workshop at Assin Fosu, Mr Naku Adama, Technical Advisor to GIZ, explained that the Municipality’s increasing population made it necessary to adopt a structured approach to development planning.
He said the Structural Plan would provide a framework for managing the Municipality’s expansion while addressing challenges associated with unplanned and haphazard development.
Mr Adama noted that proper planning was essential to ensure adequate provision for residential areas, roads, public facilities and other critical infrastructure as the municipality continued to grow.
The forum brought together representatives of women’s groups, traders, landowners, traditional authorities, planning and environmental officers, the Ghana National Fire Service, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), media practitioners and other key stakeholders.
Participants were taken through the draft Structural Plan and given the opportunity to make contributions, express concerns and provide recommendations to help improve the document before its finalisation.
The exercise is being undertaken in accordance with the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), which provides for stakeholder participation in spatial planning.
The Assembly is expected to incorporate relevant inputs from the consultation into the final plan to promote orderly, sustainable and well-coordinated development in Assin Fosu.
Meanwhile, Mr Irving Kwaku Selby, Standards and Compliance Officer of the Central Regional Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, said proper spatial planning would support effective disaster prevention and management, particularly during emergencies such as fire outbreaks and flooding.
Nana Kwaku Apotae IV, Chief of Assin Nyankomase, welcomed the initiative, saying the plan had the potential to contribute to the beautification and orderly development of Assin Fosu.
He, however, called for extensive public education and sensitisation to ensure residents understood the plan and its implications before implementation.
Mr Sitsofe Dzo, Physical Planning Officer of the Assin Fosu Municipal Assembly, identified the activities of some private surveyors as one of the challenges facing effective physical planning in the Municipality.
He said some private surveyors prepared layouts in a haphazard manner for building developments, a situation he noted could undermine efforts to achieve orderly spatial development.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Bertha Badu-Agyei/Lydia Kukua Asamoah