Eng. Randa El-Menshawy, minister of housing, utilities, and urban communities, has issued four demolition orders targeting building violations on land plots in the cities of New Beni Suef and Badr as part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal construction and prevent unplanned urban development in new cities.
The minister affirmed that the authorities of new cities will continue carrying out campaigns to remove building violations and encroachments while confronting all forms of unauthorized construction to preserve the urban and architectural character of the new cities.
She also instructed heads of city development authorities to deal immediately and decisively with any violations or encroachments and to take the necessary legal measures against offenders.
Details of the Violations Subject to Demolition Orders
The violations covered by the demolition orders included unauthorized modifications to a residential unit on a land plot in the First District of Badr City, involving the incorporation of part of the rooftop into the residential unit and converting it into living space, in addition to alterations to part of the building façade.
In New Beni Suef City, the violations included casting the first-floor roof over the rear setback area and constructing columns and buildings on the upper first floor in the “Build Your Home” area, as well as erecting an unauthorized building consisting of a basement, ground floor, three repeated floors, rooftop rooms, and a surrounding wall without obtaining the required permits.
Meanwhile, development authorities in several new cities carried out intensive campaigns to remove violations and encroachments. In the 10th of Ramadan City, under the supervision of Eng. Alaa Abdel-Lah, Head of the City Development Authority, launched a large-scale campaign to remove illegal occupations and encroachments at the commercial mall in the First District Center.
The campaign resulted in the implementation of 85 demolition decisions addressing violations and encroachments as part of a comprehensive plan to restore order in commercial and service areas, preserve the city’s urban appearance, and maximize the utilization of public assets.
Eng. Mohamed Adel Anwar, Head of the Sadat City Development Authority, also monitored a campaign enforcing closure and sealing orders against unauthorized commercial activities in the “Dar Misr” project and several other residential areas. The campaign led to the closure and sealing of four commercial shops operating without licenses, in addition to sealing five basements that violated land allocation conditions, while legal action was taken against the violators.
In New Minya City, Eng. Mohamed El-Ezzouny, Head of the City Development Authority, supervised a major campaign to remove a building violation on a land plot in the Fifth Neighborhood within the 840-Feddan Extension area due to non-compliance with licensing conditions. Work suspension orders were also enforced on 22 land plots located in the First and Second Districts.
For his part, Eng. Yasser Abdel Halim, head of the Hadayek October City Development Authority, stated that inspection campaigns conducted across various parts of the city detected three cases of unauthorized conversion of residential units into real estate marketing companies, in addition to one case where a residential unit in Zahret October within the Seventh District “Build Your Home” area had been converted into a blacksmith workshop.
He added that the campaigns also included removing encroachments and illegal land seizures in the Nakheel (1) Area in Dahshour; carrying out the immediate demolition of rear setback walls on a land plot in Hadayek Al-Yasmeen within the Fourth District “Build Your Home” area; removing unauthorized wooden formwork from another plot; halting demolition work carried out without permits; and stopping construction activities that violated rear setback requirements on several land plots.
The campaigns also resulted in the removal of various illegal occupations and encroachments, the seizure of vehicles driving against traffic regulations as part of efforts to enhance road safety and combat violations, the implementation of a decision to withdraw a land plot of approximately 60 feddans in Area (35) south of Al Wahat Road, and action against illegal and unauthorized water connections.
In El Shorouk City, demolition orders were also carried out against several building violations on different land plots under the supervision of Eng. Mohamed Ahmed Zakaria, Head of the City Development Authority, as part of the authority’s ongoing efforts to preserve the city’s urban planning standards and combat unauthorized construction.