::.. About us ...::
 
     The Town & Country Planning Ordinance was presented in the State Council in 1946 and received the official sanction of the Governor on 1st January 1947.Its purpose was, as specifically  stated in the preamble to the Ordinance,

 
 
    To authorize the making of schemes with respect to the planning and development of land in Sri Lanka, to provide for the protection of natural amenities and the preservation of buildings and objects of interest or beauty, to facilitate the acquisition of land for the purpose of giving effect to such schemes

 
 
    Mr. Oliver Weerasinghe an architect planner who had already been appointed as Government Town Planner was put in charge, as per section 5 (a) of the Ordinance occurred subsequently. Since then and until 1989, the Department existed mostly under the Ministry in charge of the subject of Local Government. Most of the time this subject was coupled with those of Housing and Construction. In 1989, with the enactment of the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution and establishment of Provincial Councils, the Department was brought under the Ministry of Policy Planning and Implementation. In 1993, however it reverted back to the Ministry of Housing & Construction.
  
 
    The amendment to the Town & Country Planning Ordinance of 1946 No 13 was approved unanimously by the Parliament of Sri Lanka on 9th August 2000. Having taken necessary administrative steps required by this amendment the new National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) was formerly established and inaugurated by the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Public Utilities on 21st May 2001.

 
     
 

The functions of the NPPD are

  • Formulation of a national physical plan policy
  • Preparation of a national physical plan
  • Formulation of implementation strategy for national physical plan
  • Preparation of physical planning guidelines to be adopted by regional or local physical planning authorities.
  • Preparation of regional and local physical plans or assist Provincial Councils and local authorities to do so.
  • Making recommendations to inter-ministerial co-ordination committee on plans accordance with national physical planning policy for submission to national physical planning council.
  • Reviewing periodically the national physical planning policy, national physical plan and national physical planning strategy and recommend to the co-coordinating committee change in such policy, plan and strategy.
  • Monitoring the implementation of national physical plan.
  • Performing as a secretariat for the national physical planning council and inter – ministerial coordinating committee.
  • Performing any activity as directed by the national physical planning council and inter – ministerial coordinating committee.
  
     
 

    Accordingly the mission of the NPPD will be to formulate national physical planning policy, plan and strategies and to ensure and monitor the implementation of such national policies and plans through regional and local plans with the object of promoting and regulating integrated planning of economic, social, physical and environmental aspects of land and territorial waters of Sri Lanka