Housing Ministry greenlights 10-storey construction in Villimalé

Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development, in the seventh amendment to the Malé Planning Regulations gazetted on Thursday, has greenlit the development of 10-storey buildings in Villimalé, a district island of the capital Malé City, located just two kilometres west of Malé.

The amendment published by the Ministry also outlines the requirements to be fulfilled in order to obtain the approval, which can now be sought for residential buildings as well.

According to it, the maximum height of building on residential land in the island is now 30.48 meters (100 feet), which is the average height of a 10-storey building.

As such, the new regulations extend the limit of the maximum number of floors for both residential and buildings developed for other uses to 10. This limit was previously set at 6 storeys.

Allowing the construction of 10-storey buildings in Villimalé, which is about five minutes away by ferry from Malé, is a presidential pledge of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. He also attempted to make the revision during his tenure as Mayor of Malé City.

As the government moves to approve higher-rise buildings in Villimalé, a 100-bed tertiary hospital development project is also underway, with its contract awarded to a Chinese company. Additionally, a project to repair the island's roads and upgrade water, sewerage, and electrical services has also been awarded to a company.