Building Permit Process Streamlined

The most significant change is the integration of the building permit and environmental consent processes. From now on, investors will file applications using an integrated application form, whereby the administrative body will decide on both topics in a joint procedure and with a single decision. In this regard, various approvals issued by the administrative authorities are no longer preconditions for obtaining a building permit, since the approvals are to be replaced by the opinions. The onus is now on the administrative body processing the application to collect the opinions of these authorities meaning no action is required on the part of the investor.

A building permit can even be obtained in summary procedure, i.e. within one month of an application being filed, but only in certain cases provided for by the GZ. Waiting time for occupancy permits have also been cut. Occupancy permit decisions must be issued within 15 days of an application being filed in the case of smaller scale buildings. It is also important to note that under the GZ building permits are no longer required for the construction of certain buildings, minor reconstructions and demolition of buildings.

There is no doubt that the GZ is more investor-friendly i.e. strives to remove the red-tape burden from the investor. However, it remains to be seen in practice whether these changes will actually accelerate processing times and work in investors’ favour. Decision-making in a joint procedure can even cause delays, therefore the period and complexity of the procedure will most likely rest on how the procedure is conducted.