Private developers have urged the Union government to relax some of the affordability norms under Delhi’s new transit-oriented development (TOD) policy, including allowing the construction of larger houses and giving builders greater flexibility in planning commercial and neighbourhood amenities, The Indian Express has learnt.TOD is an urban development strategy that aims to create the maximum possible number of houses, shops, offices and recreational spaces near public transport facilities. In April, the Union government had notified a new TOD policy for Delhi after previous attempts had failed to generate interest from private developers.The policy had opened up around 207 sq km of land located near Metro corridors for development.A key objective of the policy is to make smaller and therefore, more affordable houses available in Delhi. Developers, who want to avail of the higher floor area ratio (FAR) offered under the policy, have to use at least 65% of the total permissible FAR to build residential units of less than 100 sq m of built-up area.The Delhi chapter of real estate industry body, National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), wrote to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in May seeking that the 100 sq m rule be applied on carpet area instead of the built-up area.“It is respectfully submitted that the benchmark should continue to be interpreted and applied on RERA carpet area basis so that there is clarity, standardisation and consistency for all stakeholders. Also, as per the new RERA guidelines, carpet area is the only unit of measurement for apartments allowed,” the letter said.Carpet area refers to the usable floor space within an apartment, while built-up area includes the carpet area along with the thickness of walls and, typically, balconies or terraces. Built-up area is usually 30% larger than the carpet area.Story continues below this adThe industry body also argued that builders should be allowed to build 2.5 BHK and 3 BHK houses within 100 sq m. “In Delhi’s context, an affordable family home should ideally permit planning for a practical 2.5 BHK or 3 BHK configuration within the 100 sq m RERA carpet area threshold,” the letter said, adding that this would better align the policy with the housing needs of Delhi’s middle-income families.Delhi-NCR suffers from a lack of affordable and mid-segment housing. Houses that cost below Rs 80 lakh used to make up 72% of the housing inventory in 2019. By 2024, it had fallen to 15%, according to data from real estate consultancy Anarock.The industry body also sought more flexibility in planning commercial and other neighbourhood amenities. While the policy mandates that at least 10% of the permissible FAR be earmarked for neighbourhood commercial use, facilities and social amenities, it asked that this be changed to “up to 10%” – instead of the mandatory minimum 10% – so projects can better respond to site conditions, market demand and planning requirements.Moreover, as per the policy, the remaining 25% of the permissible FAR is to be used to build larger houses of more than 100 sq m carpet area, office space, guest houses or studio apartments. “It is respectfully suggested that this component should also be read as up to 25%, thereby allowing planning flexibility in the overall product mix,” the letter said.Story continues below this adQueries sent to the Delhi Development Authority and the MoHUA remained unanswered.# The DDA on Wednesday opened the application process for builders seeking to undertake projects under the TOD Policy through its Online Building Permit System (OBPS), marking the operational rollout of the policy notified in April.# Developers will first have to seek approval for TOD plots from the TOD Committee via the portal before submitting building plans seeking sanction. The DDA has also launched a dedicated microsite with policy details and guidelines.# The TOD policy introduces a single-window clearance mechanism, with builders required to apply and pay charges only once, instead of obtaining separate approvals from multiple civic agencies.Story continues below this ad# A single TOD charge has been proposed – encompassing DJB’s charges for water and sewerage; MCD’s sanction charges, including for land use change and levy/additional levy/additional FAR; as well as DDA charges for conversion from lease hold to freehold.