Development Control an Important Regulator of Settlement Growth: A Case Study of Ekpoma, Nigeria

Abstract

Development control is seen as a mechanism put in place to maintain standard. It reduces the negative effect that accompany physical development. There are restrictions introduced to prevent certain acts that are detrimental to stake holder in the built environment. The concept of zoning, covenants and other forms of regulating agreement are being used to guide developers and beneficiaries. The organised field work, interview and documentary materials form the sources of data and information for this work. This is what reveal the lawless ness, unplanned physical development and haphazard development recorded in many places. The panacea is the ability to realise positive results in the course of enforcement. The laws that will satisfy both private and public needs have to be harmonized into the present conditions in the building industry. For sectors where a reasonable success have been achieved the need to sustain the tempo and maintain the stand ard remains as the challenging factor.