We do not issue permits - Physical Planning Department boss clarifies

The National President of the Local Government Service Physical Planning Department, Gifty Nyarko, has clarified that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are the legally mandated planning authorities responsible for overseeing physical development, but do not directly issue development permits through the Physical Planning Department.

According to a report by myjoyonline.com on July 7, 2026, Nyarko explained that while physical planning officers and the Works Department play key technical roles in processing applications, they do not have the legal authority to issue development permits.

"By law, every MMDA is the planning authority. Even though we play our respective roles, we are not the authorities that issue permits. We only sign on behalf of the committee," she indicated.

According to Nyarko, Physical Planning Departments serve as the secretariat for development applications, receiving and processing submissions before forwarding them to the Technical Sub-Committee and subsequently to the Spatial Planning Committee for consideration and approval.

"We take the applications, process them and submit them to the Technical Sub-Committee before they are forwarded to the Spatial Planning Committee for approval," she explained.

Evidence of title to land does not imply development, planning permits - Physical Planner

She noted that after approvals are granted, physical planning officers work alongside engineers through the Planning and Building Inspectorate Unit to enforce development control and ensure projects comply with approved plans and planning regulations.

Nyarko said the responsibilities of planning officers extend beyond processing applications to monitoring developments and preventing unauthorised construction.

She further explained that the current institutional arrangement was introduced under the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925).

Before the law was passed, the department operated as the Town and Country Planning Department.

Under the reforms, she said, district-level Physical Planning Departments were integrated into the Local Government Service, while the national and regional offices now operate under the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA).

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