Private developers will be banned from selling properties in northern Bahrain unless proper infrastructure is in place.

The Northern Municipal Council has taken the decision based on complaints from homeowners, some of whom have allegedly waited more than a decade for basic services such as roads, sewage and streetlighting to be installed, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

It affects development in the Northern Governorate, which includes settlements off the Budaiya Highway, Saar, parts of Hamad Town and some areas on the west coast.

The decision has been taken after agricultural land was reclassified, allowing owners to sell it off to residential buyers on which to build new homes.

However, councillors say many of those who built homes are now suffering from a lack of basic services.

“For several years, councillors approved investment in residential projects with good intentions, but we are left to solve several problems created by the absence of infrastructure,” said councillor Fatema Al Qatari.

“They (former councillors) changed classifications from agriculture to residential to allow investors to construct projects, but they ended up selling off the land as plots – which meant there were no commitments to build roads, install sewage or lighting.

“Residents who bought homes in various projects are suffering even after waiting 10 years, despite promises of a two-year wait.

“Hence, we have decided that no investor will be allowed to sell, partially or in full, without infrastructure being complete.

“We (the council) require written agreements from ministries concerned on the time frame of work on the government’s expense, or that of the property owner.”

Ahli United Bank, which plans to build 80 mid-range homes in a multimillion-dinar residential project in Hamala, has only been given the go-ahead by the council after providing written guarantees that the required infrastructure will be in place once the properties are finished.

However, residents are also demanding a public park within the project, which will be negotiated with the bank.

Al Qatari said homeowners should not have to face paying additional infrastructure costs after work on their house has been completed.

“We are against the idea of someone saving and taking loans to pay BD120,000 ($315,789) for a house and later on paying thousands to establish a temporary road, drain sewage and fix cars because of bumpy access and darkness.”

This measure could be implemented nationwide if approved by Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Essam Khalaf. - TradeArabia News Service