The draft Bhopal Development Plan 2047 proposes regulating commercial activity in residential areas based on the width of the road on which a property is located. The proposed framework would restrict commercial use on narrower roads while allowing a wider range of businesses along broader roads that can accommodate higher traffic and parking requirements.
Under the proposed norms, full-scale commercial activity would not be permitted on roads narrower than 12 metres. Limited professional use could be allowed on these roads, restricted to a single floor. The permitted activities would include offices of lawyers, chartered accountants, consultants and similar professionals. Shops, restaurants and other businesses expected to generate higher customer footfall would not fall within this category.
Commercial Use Linked to Road Width
The draft plan introduces different categories of commercial activity according to road width. For roads measuring between 12 and 18 metres, the proposed rules would allow low-intensity convenience services. These include bank ATMs, stationery shops and medical stores, which are generally intended to serve residents in the surrounding neighbourhood.
The plan proposes broader commercial permissions for roads between 18 and 24 metres wide. Such roads could accommodate establishments including nursing homes, restaurants, hotels and cafes, coaching centres and showrooms. These businesses generally require greater customer access, parking and movement compared with smaller neighbourhood services.
For roads wider than 30 metres, the draft proposes allowing shopping complexes. This creates a direct link between the scale of commercial activity and the capacity of the road network serving the property.
The proposed road-width classification is intended to manage the movement and traffic generated by different types of businesses. Narrow residential roads would have fewer commercial activities, while wider corridors would be able to support establishments with higher visitor volumes.
Charge for Commercial Status
The draft plan also proposes a financial requirement for property owners seeking commercial status. Owners would have to pay a charge equivalent to 20% of the difference between the residential and commercial collector guideline rates applicable to the property.
This provision would add a cost to the process of obtaining commercial status and would link the charge to the applicable guideline rates for the property.
Possible Impact on Existing Properties
The proposed framework could affect properties currently being used for commercial purposes within residential neighbourhoods. The extent of the impact would depend on the final zoning provisions, transition arrangements and implementation mechanism included in the approved development plan.
The road-width-based approach proposed under the Bhopal Development Plan 2047 would therefore create different levels of commercial permissions depending on the surrounding road infrastructure. Professional offices could continue under limited conditions on narrower roads, while convenience services, larger establishments and shopping complexes would require progressively wider road access.
