No Law Prohibits Siting Of Filling Station In Residential Areas-Town & Country Planning

William K. Hayford –Acquah,EPA

A Town Planning Officer at the Town and Country Planning, Madam Linda Amofa, has revealed that Ghana at the moment does not have any law which prohibits siting of fuel filling station in residential areas.

According to her, what the current Town and Country Planning law took into consideration is that “there are areas which have been designated as commercial and residential areas.”

She noted that once an area is classified as a commercial centre a fuel can be sited despite fallen within a residential area.

She explained that a fuel station can be sited in residential area as long as the operator meets the requirements.

Madam Linda Amofa, who disclosed this at forum organized by the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC), as part of its 2017 safety week, however, said her outfit conducts a thorough assessment before given approval for fuel station to be constructed.

“We collaborate with several agencies and conduct assessment before we give a green light for fuel station,” she said.

She noted that her outfit alone would not be able to monitor prospective fuel station operators to ensure that they are adhering to the laid down procedures and urged the public to play a watch dog role in their communities.

The Chief Programme Officer at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), William K. Hayford Acquah, described as unacceptable criticism of his outfit that it is culpable for the spate of recent fire outbreaks in some filling stations.

He said though some officials of EPA may have been influenced by money and issued permit to a prospective fuel station operator residents in the area also have the responsibility to resist it, if they believe it would affect them negatively.

Story By: Michael Creg Afful

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