In a move to capitalize on growing tourism, the Uttar Pradesh government has relaxed building regulations to make it easier to open hotels, particularly smaller establishments. This comes after a surge in tourist arrivals following the completion of major religious projects like the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The key changes include a reduction in the required plot size for hotels with more than 20 rooms from 1,000 square meters to 500 square meters. For smaller hotels, with 6 to 20 rooms, the previous minimum land area requirement has been abolished, provided these hotels comply with the byelaws. Additionally, hotels with up to 20 rooms can now be built on 9-meter-wide roads in residential areas, whereas larger hotels will need at least a 12-meter-wide road.
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The amendments also address construction regulations in residential areas. While hotels cannot be built on residential plots in planned colonies, they can be constructed on 12-meter-wide roads in non-residential zones. Furthermore, hotel owners must allocate 1.5 equivalent car spaces per 100 square meters of built area for parking.
Changes have also been made to setback and height regulations. Buildings up to 15 meters tall must now leave a five-meter space at the front and three meters at the back, with a three-meter space on both sides. For taller buildings, existing setback and ground coverage rules will continue to apply.
Importantly, there will be no height restrictions within the permissible ground coverage and floor area ratio (FAR), although height will be regulated by proximity to protected monuments, airport funnel zones, and other statutory limitations.
For large hotels built on plots of 4,000 square meters or more, 20 percent of the FAR can be utilized for commercial and office purposes, and another 20 percent for service apartments. Additionally, 5 percent of the additional ground coverage area can be designated for entrance lobbies, exempt from FAR calculations.
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These revisions come in the wake of a noticeable increase in tourist numbers, spurred by the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, and other major projects like the Vindhya Corridor in Mirzapur and the Banke Bihari Corridor in Mathura. The state government anticipates further tourist influx with the completion of these and other projects, necessitating enhanced hospitality infrastructure.
