VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi is determined to halt the future construction of deformed and super-slim houses.


A super-slim house is under construction at an intersection of Nguyen Trai – Khuat Duy Tien in Thanh Xuan District in Ha Noi although the city has decision to stop the construction of deformed and super-slim houses. (Photo: VNS)
Officials were working on creating laws and tightening construction statutes, said the vice chairman of the municipal People's Committee Phi Thai Binh.


District officials have been asked to tackle the problem before February 15th.


The districts have been asked to draw up plans to green light site clearances. The houses that will be demolished fall into two categories: homes that were built before 2005 and structures that were built after that year.


The Law on Construction, which became effective in 2004, stipulated that land plots smaller than 15 square metres could not be built.

Accordingly, houses which fall into the first category will receive compensation in accordance with current land and house prices, while the remaining homes will be removed and their owners will not receive financial assistance.


Binh asked the Construction Department to submit a plan to solve the issue prior to January 10th. The Architecture Planning Department was asked to complete an architectural plan concerning road surface regulations.


The department's deputy director Vu Tuan Dinh said the regulations would help prevent the construction of super-slim and oddly shaped houses because the statutes would help define construction codes and assist transportation development.


"This could be a breakthrough for the city and its face would be improved if we properly implement the regulations," Dinh said.


The department's deputy director Nguyen Khac Tho said violations continued because of a lack of strict penalties and enforcement in several districts.


Tho said the new, narrow houses were built because the road in the area was recently expanded. After the land was cleared, most plots were 1 to 2 metres in width.


Most of these land plots were located near newly expanded roads, which allowed for the owners to accumulate large profits.


Vice chairman of Thanh Xuan District People's Committee Dang Hong Thai said officials did not grant construction licences, but residents still illegally built the houses.


Thai said officials were not able to resolve the cases due to a lack of regulations. If the city were to draft legal documents that would prevent the construction of super slim houses, then the district would be allowed to demolish them.

Land plots too small

According to statistics from the Department of Construction, Ha Noi has 172 houses or land plots that are too small and/or are improperly designed.

These houses are in most inner-city and suburban districts including Tu Liem and Thanh Tri.

Thanh Xuan District has 62 narrow and badly-designed houses, Ba Di´nh District has 44 houses, most of which are located on Dao Tan, Kim Ma, Van Cao and Lieu Giai streets. Hai Ba Trung District has 25 houses on Le Thanh Nghi Street and Vinh Tuy Bridge that are violating the law, Cau Giay District has 19.


Deputy head of the city's Land Clearance Steering Board Trinh Hoa Binh said officials had not taken into account houses that were partially removed when the land was cleared for the road.


Ba Dinh District People's Committee vice chairman Nguyen The Cong said possible disputes might result if residents were not properly compensated for their losses.

According to vice chairman of Hai Ba Trung District People's Committee Lam Anh Tuan, the construction law encourages neighbours that live near slim houses to sell their land so houses can be expanded.


However, this part of the legislation had not been successful because land prices were too high, Tuan said.

Officials also raised their concerns over the regulation because the appropriated plots of land would house kiosks or ornamental gardens in the small areas.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News