Compliance with land use regulations in the vicinity of fuel service stations: A study of the Cape Coast Metropolitan area

Abstract

Despite the numerous benefits of urban fuel stations, threats are posed to human life and properties when the stations are not well managed. The study assessed compliance with land use regulations in the vicinity of fuel service stations in the Cape Coast Metropolitan area. A total sample size of 371 respondents comprising 352 bonafide land owners or heads of household, 18 fuel service station managers, and one Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) officer was selected for the study. The study used a descriptive research design with a mixed-method approach and selected respondents based on cluster and purposive sampling techniques. The research found that some of the fuel service stations were identified with hot works (fire-related activities) from the adjoining land use which pose a threat to the environment at large. A land use compliance map was also generated using ArcGIS Pro based on the variations in the land uses from the study. Conditions that accounted for the variations in the statutory and existing land uses were geographic and environmental such as demographic dynamics, global food consumption, energy demands, settlements and infrastructure, and economic activities. The study also revealed that people who are financially stable, socially connected, and can make a great change in society and people’s lives influence land use compliance. Regression analysis revealed that demolition of poorly sited structures, withdrawal of permits, effective law enforcement, awareness creation, and financial capacity of land users and developers are significant factors that influence land use compliance in the vicinity of fuel service stations. The study concluded that there is a high level of compliance with land use regulations in the vicinity of the fuel service stations in the Cape Coast Metropolitan area. It is therefore recommended that land use found within proximity to fuel service stations that engage in fire-related activities should be checked, and strictly regulated by the regulating bodies (NPA, EPA, or LUSPA). The LUSPA should also adapt the land use compliance map of this study as reference data to aid in monitoring and tracking land-use activities in the vicinity of the fuel service stations.