NLA Introduces Express Service, Launches Portmore Master Map

Developers can now benefit from speedier transactions at the National Land Agency (NLA) with the introduction of the agency’s new express service, Simultaneous Lodgements.

NLA’s Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Stair, explained that, “Simultaneous Lodgements allows for the lodgement of both your survey plans and your title application documents for issuing titles for subdivisions. If the customer lodges the survey plan for approval, their legal documents to create that sub-division and all the permissions from the local planning authority, then we would process those documents within 40 days.”

However, this new arrangement is only applicable to subdivisions with a minimum of ten lots.

Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, Mrs. Stair disclosed that the NLA took the decision to introduce the service following numerous complaints from developers about the lengthy procedure involved in securing titles as well as the high costs.

According to the CEO, persons applying for titles are usually given a guarantee of 80 per cent completion in 30 days, while persons seeking approval of survey plans are assured of 78 per cent completion in 35 days.

“What we have decided to do is that if you have to expedite a matter, we would allow you to lodge all the documents required and we will complete the process within an abbreviated time,” the CEO explained.

However, Mrs. Stair hastened to point out that this ‘express’ service attracted an additional fee and could only be provided if all the documents were in order.

So, a developer who wants to utilise the Simultaneous Lodgements service is advised to make an appointment with the NLA to check the documents to ensure that they are in order.

Customers accessing this new service option will be asked to pay a checking fee of $15,000 for each lot.

Meanwhile, the NLA has also produced and launched a Portmore Master Map, which is multifunctional and interactive and can be used as a road map, as well as to identify parcels of land, explained the CEO.

“In the case of Portmore, you will have the streets identified and you will have the individual parcels there. What the map also allows us to do is put in other features such as churches, schools, police stations, post offices, those sorts of facilities, and it also allows us to overlay any other maps,” Mrs. Stair informed.

This map also provides a wide range of geographical information both in digital form as well as in the conventional paper copy.

The Portmore Master Map, Mrs. Steer added, was separated into some 10 discrete layers, for example, road, drainage, contour data, parcels, special areas such as shopping centres and industrial facilities, and topography.

The parcel layer provides the link between the property and the valuation roll.

The layer for roads provides a detailed road network such as major roads and minor roads.

Also indicated is a detailed overview of the location of water bodies such as drains, canals and wells.

The topography layer provides contours, which refer to the height or depth of a location on a map.

While the target group for this map is primarily developers, other groups that may be interested include motorists, the police and private security companies.