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BCC earmarks 161 buildings for demolition

 

Blantyre City Council (BCC) will start implementing the Red Star campaign on March 1 2016. The exercise will commence with the formal demolition of buildings recommended for such by the red star taskforce.

President Peter Mutharika revived the campaign on February 25 2015 so that dilapidated buildings are replaced by modern ones that meet current living and business infrastructure standards.

City council wants Blantyre to  have moden buildings
City council wants Blantyre to
have moden buildings

Briefing journalists in Blantyre on the progress of the campaign, Blantyre City deputy mayor Wild Ndipo said the Red Star Task Force conducted the verification exercise in Blantyre and Limbe central business districts.

He said: “Ninety one properties were inspected in Limbe and 87 were recommended for demolition, while in Blantyre 189 properties were inspected and 74 recommended for demolition.

“Looking at these figures, you can see that Blantyre City is not in good shape and there is a lot to be done to ensure that the city remains modern.”

Ndipo, who is also chairperson of the main organising committee of the campaign, said BCC has already started distributing letters to owners of all buildings that have been targeted in the exercise.

He said BCC has set October 30 2015 as the last day for receiving acknowledgements from developers and shall from October 19 to 24 begin painting red stars on all targeted buildings.

BCC director of planning Costly Chanza said city residents have welcomed the campaign adding that even business people are happy with the initiative.

Chanza said BCC is ready to face anyone who challenges them and has already put a legal team in place.

He said the council will soon produce demolition guidelines to avoid inconvenieces. n

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