Amendment of urban planning legislation – a breath of fresh air for property owners in Greece

Amendment of urban planning legislation – a breath of fresh air for property owners in Greece

An extension of two years for the reconstruction of off-plan properties of less than two acres gives the new multi-bill submitted to the Parliament by the Ministry of Environment and specifically these are:

• Of 750 sq.m., with a minimum “face” of 10 m. And a minimum depth of 15 m., Existing since 1962.
• Of 1,200 sq.m., with a minimum “face” of 20 m. And a minimum depth of 35 m., Existing since 1964.
• Of 2 acres, with a minimum “face” of 25 m. And a minimum depth of 40 m., Existing since 1977 (for those located within the zone of cities and settlements) or in 1978 (for those with a face on a national, provincial or municipal road) .
• They “lost” the minimum perfection in some area because the state expropriated a part of them.
• They do not have perfection, but were given to land reclamation, in exchange for a perfect plot of land.

As Mr. Hatzidakis announced earlier, because it was pointed out by many technical bodies that the two-year deadline would not be sufficient, it will be enough for the interested party to submit a request for a building permit. More specifically, the exact wording in the final text is that the right is retained “if an application for a building permit is submitted for a period not exceeding two years, even if it is not accompanied by all the required supporting documents, such as forest or of the Archaeological Service “.

After two years, the possibility of building on plots of less than two acres will be completely abolished (as requested, after all, by the Council of State), while the possibility of building on plots of more than two acres will remain under certain conditions (e.g. in cases of land reduction due to expropriation / road construction or if the local urban plan deems it obliged to restore it).

In general, the urban planning bill creates three “speeds” in the off-plan areas:

• The first concerns areas that do not yet have any kind of urban planning. There the owner, if he has the minimum perfection (four acres) will be able to build 180 sq.m. (from 200 sq.m. today). In these areas, the issuance of a building permit will be charged with a fee of 5% which will end up in a special account in the Green Fund.
• The second concerns the areas that are not covered, although, by an urban plan, but by some other form of urban planning (eg a Presidential Decree, a residential control zone). There, perfection may be more favorable than the first category (although in many cases it is higher, eg in much of Attica it is 20 acres) and building conditions (rate, coverage, etc.) up to 10 % higher.
• The third category concerns the areas in which there is urban planning: either of old type (General Urban Plan -GIS- or Open Town Spatial Plan – SHOOAP), or new type (Local or Special Urban Plan). In these areas the minimum perfection in the off-plan areas can start from 2 acres, if this arises as a need from the study of the area (eg there is a significant number of small property). Building conditions should (obviously) be much less favorable than for settlements. The maximum building factor for a house outside the city plan is 0.18, coverage 10% and a maximum number of two floors.
• It should be noted that from the final text of the urban plan, the article was removed, which increased the necessary minimum “person” on the road, the pilots in the off-plan, etc. were abolished. According to the Ministry of Environment, the more specific provisions will be specified by Presidential Decree.

Finally, an interesting addition is the regulation of construction on uninhabited islands. As foreseen, this is possible – if this is allowed by the environmental legislation – if allowed by the urban planning of the area (something that can happen in the case, for example with a special spatial plan), with a minimum of 20 acres. .