The ministry wants to amend the new construction law

Brno - The Ministry for Regional Development wants to amend the new building law. The amendment has been in effect since January, but some of its provisions are delaying the issuance of building permits and could complicate the drawing of funds from the European Union, said Minister for Regional Development Jiří Čunek to reporters at the Construction Fair in Brno today. He will propose the changes to the deputies in a fast-track procedure. The amendment could be in effect by the end of this year.
    "It's something that went very wrong," evaluated the law, which passed under the previous government of ČSSD, KDU-ČSL, and the Freedom Union, the leader of the Christian Democratic Party, Čunek. According to information the Ministry for Regional Development has from building authorities, there are two-thirds fewer building permits this year than before the new law took effect. The main problem lies with the new rules for territorial planning. Municipalities have also complained about this earlier.
    Television Nova, for example, previously reported that about 600 municipalities do not have developed territorial plans. Without a territorial plan, construction cannot take place outside the current built-up areas in municipalities. Moreover, according to the new law, even buildings that do not require building permits must comply with the territorial plan. This prevents builders from obtaining permits in a short period, noted Čunek.
    The new building law replaced a regulation from the mid-1960s. It is expected to remain in effect for decades to come. It was meant to facilitate the administration surrounding both small and large construction projects. For instance, the law expanded the number of minor constructions that only require notification to the building authority instead of a building permit. For several smaller constructions, no notification is even necessary.
    According to Čunek, pushing through the amendment will not be a problem. "I think the deputies will understand that some paragraphs that were approved are detrimental to the building law," the minister added.