Ayn Tarma Master Plan Undergoes Expansion

The local council in the city of Ayn Tarma in Rural Damascus has proposed a new revision to the master plan based on expanding the city’s boundaries and increasing urban density. This will be done by incorporating unzoned areas and allowing the construction of residential towers, with an increase in the number of permitted storeys, and permitting the construction of residential towers throughout the entire city and not only in the damaged areas.

Ayn Tarma is located around two kilometres from the Zablatani area in Damascus and is separated from the Jobar neighbourhood by the Southern Ring Road, making it one of the closest towns in East Ghouta to the capital. The city is divided into zoned areas subject to a master plan, the most recent revision of which was in 2009 under Decision No. 150, which raised the allowed number of storeys to five, especially for buildings overlooking public roads.

Wael Salam, the mayor of Ayn Tarma, told The Syria Report that the proposed revision includes incorporating the area of the Southern Ring Road reserve towards Jobar, which is an unzoned area that can be invested in through the construction of residential towers or allocated as public facilities. The proposal also includes incorporating the Aqsab Mosque area located on the edge of the town, which is currently not subject to any administrative authority, with the aim of bringing it under the municipality’s authority and granting building permits there.

The proposal also includes incorporating the Mahariq area, which was separated from Jobar after the Southern Ring Road was cut through, and turned into an informal settlement as a result of the absence of an administrative authority, since Jobar municipality no longer intervenes there, Mr Salam added. He explained that among the proposed amendments is to update the building code and permit the construction of residential towers without specifying the number of storeys, as this would incentivise investment in the city.

Informal settlements and unlicensed construction

Ayn Tarma contains large informal settlements, most notably Bustan Al-Naseem, also known as Al-Tabbaleh, in addition to agricultural land that has seen an expansion in unlicensed construction, especially in the Wadi Ayn Tarma area.

The municipality demolished around 15 unlicensed buildings in those areas during recent weeks, while tightening measures to control violations, in an attempt to curb the expansion of informal settlements, especially with the announcement of the proposed new master plan. This reflects an attempt to curb the expansion of informal settlements, especially as the proposed master plan is being introduced while unauthorised construction continues in the outskirts.

Real estate investment 

The municipality has received between three and four investors who expressed readiness to enter into modern construction projects, explained Mr Salam, adding that that the municipality’s role is limited to facilitating procedures and linking investors with owners in order to reach agreements between them, without intervening in the details of those agreements, as its role is limited to facilitating procedures. He cited the example of an investor working on implementing around 15 buildings in the city after reaching agreements with owners, which reflects the emergence of a pattern of real estate development based on private partnerships.

According to Salam, the price per metre of construction ranges between USD 200 and 400 depending on the location.

Investor Bashar Shaaban, who is from Jobar and invests in Ayn Tarma, confirmed that building activity exists but remains limited because of weak services, despite rising prices. He added that rents range between USD 150 and 250 per month depending on the condition of the property.

Widespread destruction 

Destruction is widespread in Ayn Tarma, especially in the area overlooking the Southern Ring Road towards Jobar, as well as the Shamland neighbourhood, as a result of intensive shelling between 2013 and 2018, after the city fell out of the control of the Assad regime in 2013. The formally planned areas were also subjected to widespread destruction, with large parts of buildings, including entire upper floors, levelled to the ground, and wide areas of the city remaining covered in rubble.

Residents are still slow to return to Ayn Tarma, especially Shamland, where some families live in severely damaged homes without windows or doors, using blankets instead because they cannot afford repairs. Other families also live in areas lacking sewage networks and basic services, adding to daily hardships without housing alternatives.

According to estimates by real estate agents from the area, there are around 100 destroyed buildings that need complete reconstruction, compared with 600 buildings in need of repair, equivalent to around 5,000 flats. The current population of Ain Tarma is around 130,000, including approximately 40 percent from Jobar who were displaced there because of the extensive destruction in their neighbourhood and the short distance between the two areas.