Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, has warned that weak spatial planning in the region could undermine major development projects and lead to uncoordinated settlements, poor sanitation and difficulties in providing essential services.
He said the Regional Spatial Planning Committee (RSPC) must urgently become more functional and work closely with metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to ensure that development was properly planned before new projects and settlements took shape.
Hon. Akamugri made the call at the third-quarter meeting of the Regional Spatial Planning Committee at the Regional Coordinating Council conference room on Tuesday.
He expressed concern that the committee had not been functioning effectively for more than a year, describing spatial planning as a foundation for the region’s development.
He cited the planned construction of an airport as one major project that required careful spatial planning, warning that the facility could trigger new settlements and development that might become difficult to manage if the relevant authorities failed to plan ahead.
“Spatial planning is very, very important,” he stressed, urging members of the committee to take their responsibilities seriously.
The Minister also cited parts of Bolgatanga where some areas are difficult to access during fire outbreaks, saying such challenges demonstrated the consequences of inadequate planning.
He called on the RSPC to regularly review the spatial plans of the various assemblies and engage them to ensure that development was guided by appropriate plans.
Hon. Akamugri further linked inadequate planning to sanitation challenges, noting that properly planned communities would make it easier to provide drainage, organise waste collection and deliver other essential services.
He cautioned authorities not to wait until rural communities had expanded into large settlements before introducing proper spatial planning.
The Minister said the region’s ambition to move to a higher level of development must be anchored on effective planning and coordination among the relevant institutions.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com
