IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LAND USE PLANS IN THE SAGNARIGU DISTRICT IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

The growth and expansion of cities come with a lot of benefits and challenges due to their enigmatic nature. Cities, as a result, will need land use plans to guide their growth in an orderly manner to enable the benefits be realized by society. Land use plans do not come to any meaningful thing if they are not implemented accordingly. The implementation and management of land use plans are therefore crucial and the need to know the factors that affects their implementation. This study aimed at assessing the implementation of land use plans in growing cities in the Northern Region of Ghana. The research adopted the case study approach because of the rapid expansion of urban areas in the country and its implications on spatial planning. The study employed observation, questionnaires and interviews of stakeholders as the tools for data collection. The study established that the only types of land use plans in the district for implementation are local plans which are prepared with little participation of communities. It further showed that the techniques used for plan implementation are stop work notices, demarcation of plots and site inspection. The study also revealed some challenges in plan implementation including land ownership system, weak participatory approach, land boundary disputes, and low patronage of building permits. The benefits of land use plans, as identified during the study, included promotion of infrastructural facilities, titling to land, naming of streets and numbering of properties. The study concluded that there is need for planning education for the general public, preparation of higher plans like Spatial Development Framework and Structure Plan, enforcement of existing planning laws, provision of resources for technical department of the assembly to work and stakeholder participation in plans preparation.