Restrictions on the height of new buildings near the US Naval Base in the Juffair district of Bahrain could be imposed with the area being described as a "sensitive location", a report said.

The Capital Trustees Board - a municipal body formed in December to run the country's capital - wants five plots of land, covering between 2,500 sq m and 4,900 sq m, to be classified as special status, meaning structures will be limited to a specific number of storeys, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

The area surrounding the base is an investment zone and buildings can go as high as 20 storeys, but the board passed a proposal to limit that.

It also means that investors would need the board's consent before starting construction work in Al Fateh District - if the Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry approves the proposal.

"An agreement has been reached with most of the landowners on the reclassification, and I have been told that compensations will be made for the lost storeys," board chairman Mohammed Al Khozaae told the GDN.

"Special classification is required for the five plots as they are located near a sensitive area, which we have to take into consideration, before granting any construction permission.

"New heights will vary according to the space of the land, but they will not reach up to the usual allowed heights in that area."

Meanwhile, the board also reclassified Road 2608 in Adliya, which runs by the Indian Embassy and several cafes and businesses, to a commercial zone.

"The place is full of cafes and businesses, but was not classified as commercial and there are several empty plots that owners want to build businesses on, but due to partial residential zoning have been unable to do so," said acting technical committee chairwoman Dr Maha Al Shehab. The proposal was passed following a recommendation by the General Directorate of Urban Planning. – TradeArabia News Service