Bahrain Real Estate News
Bahrain suspends $1bn development project
Work on the $1billion development project, located off the northern coastline in Bahrain may soon be suspended according to a decision taken yesterday by few Municipal Councilors.
The Councilors had tried to block the project, claiming a reclamation license for the Al Nurana residential and commercial project had been granted to developers without their permission.
The members of the Northern Municipal Council refused to grant a license to Al Manara Development Company to make progress on the project, despite having begun the reclamation works.
Another multi-million project, Marsa Al Seef, located adjacent to Al Nurana, was also rejected. The Councilors had ordered Al Manara to stop reclamation works in December, but later found that a license had already been granted last September by Northern Municipality, without their consent, through the intervention of VIPs.
The Marsa Al Seef project is equivalent to Al Nurana project in its size and councilors claim that it breached Vision 2030 master plan. The technical committee by the Northern Municipality reviewed a request letter from Haj Company, which included construction of temporary access roads to Al Nurana project.
The Council Member Sayed Ahmed Al Alawi, said that the refusal was done as there was no permit for land reclamation, which is a violation of the general structure plan of the country. Moreover, the project is using up the coasts in Bahrain, which needs to be preserved for neighboring villages.
One of the council members, Abdulghani Khalil said that the Northern Municipality had ignored the council’s say on this matter.
According to councilors, even with just a reclamation license, the developers do not have the right to begin construction work without approval, as they have authority of issues pertaining to zoning.
Before issuing the reclamation license, the council had placed few demands including charity payments of up to BD80,000 to help nearby communities of Jid Al Haj, Janusan, Karranah and those living near Bahrain Fort.
The residents are also seeking a public coastline, a jetty for fishermen, and a walkway, apart from sports hall for Karranah villages and houses.
The Councilors demand that developers leave space for public coast, build a walkway and a fishermen’s jetty, apart from a sports hall for Karranah Villagers. Apart from this, the demand includes building three public parks for residents of Janusan, Karranah and Jid Al Haj, which would be paid for by the developer.
The employment in the project is largely for the youngsters in the village, while the rest would be kept open for the developer to decide, under the original terms put to the developer.
The Councilors require 200 houses to be built and distributed among the village’s residents, currently on the waiting lists by the Housing Ministry.
Posted on 3/2/2010
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