Land use controls and residential land values in the Offinso South municipality, Ghana

Land use controls may have positive, negative or neutral impact on urban land values. The Offinso South Municipality (OSM) employs conventional zoning in its land management practices. This article investigates the land use control regime in and its impact on land values and the living standards of residents of the municipality. Empirical data were obtained from physical developers in the municipality via self-administered questionnaire. It also collected data from occupiers of amenity lands via guided interviews. It finds that there exist large scale violations of planning controls in the municipality. It also finds that amenity lands are generally encroached upon sometimes with connivance of officials from the planning outfit. It suggests that the planning authority should dialogue with developers to ensure voluntary compliance. The planning authority should also build its capacity to enforce its land use plan.

► We studied the impact of land use controls on land values in the Offinso South municipalities (OSM), Ghana.
► There is low level of compliance to land use regulations in the municipality.
► Regulations on sanitary provisions are generally disobeyed.
► The expected gains of land use regulations on land values are not realized in the OSM.
► The land use regulations in the municipality facilitate sprawling.