The Lagos State Government has said it is placing suspension on further development of housing estates without the requisite layout approval in the area designated as Sapata Village Excision, near the Victoria Garden City, Lekki.

While receiving situation report of the area in his office in Alausa, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, said this was to pave the way for orderly and sustainable development of the area.

The Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Mukaila Sanusi, disclosed this in a statement on Friday titled “Regional road: LASG suspends development of estates without layout approval in Sapata-Lekki.”

Salako noted that in a bid to take advantage of the regional road project, developers had embarked on rapid indiscriminate development of estates in contravention of the state planning laws.

The commissioner stated, “I have said repeatedly that we must halt the ugly situation in which planning had to chase development as against the opposite.

“As a result, developments around this corridor must be controlled to prevent another slum from springing up in the state as any unplanned development in the area will ultimately negate the expected benefits of the regional road.”

Salako said that estates within Sapata Village excision, to the right of Harries Drive, from VGC junction down to the lagoon must as a matter of urgency come forward with their approvals.

He said this included layout, planning permit and stage certificates or make immediate recourse to the appropriate government agencies for same; otherwise no further development would be allowed in such estates.

He added that all hands must be on deck towards achieving an orderly, organised, livable and sustainable physical environment as envisioned by the development agenda of Lagos State.

The commissioner reiterated that prospective landed property buyers and off-takers should be wary of estates or properties without approvals, in order not to jeopardise their investments.