The head of IPR wants to depoliticize the discussions about the metropolitan plan for Prague

Prague - When discussing the new metropolitan plan for Prague, political will is needed; it must not become a tool for settling political scores. This was stated by the director of the Institute of Planning and Development Ondřej Boháč during today's discussion held by the consulting firm KPMG with developers. He mentioned that, ideally, the first construction permit according to the new plan will be issued in 2024. According to developers, it is therefore important to start moving the halted changes to the current zoning plan.

“The zoning plan is, of course, a political matter, and that is perfectly fine. Provided that it moves the city forward. But it must not be a means of settling political scores,” Boháč stated. He mentioned the recent disputes over Prague's building regulations between the Ministry for Regional Development (MMR) and the Prague City Hall as an example.

Although the metropolitan plan is approved by the city council, the MMR acts as a supervisory authority. “The ministry has a whole range of means by which it could extend the approval process, potentially by a year. But that would be a purposeful obstruction. I believe that this will not happen,” Boháč added. The current metropolitan plan has been in effect since 1999. This year, its validity was extended from 2020 to 2022.

“When we realize that the construction of a larger residential building takes two years, the first buildings according to the new plan will be completed at the earliest in nine years. But it is necessary for Prague to develop even in the meantime. It is necessary to change the zoning plan for certain development areas. Not to expand construction to the surroundings but to utilize brownfields within the city,” said Dušan Kunovský, the owner of the development company Central Group.

According to the executive director of CPI Zdeněk Havelka, it is important for Prague to have a clear strategy. “If it wants to grow demographically, it has to do something about it. And I don’t see that happening here,” Havelka stated. CPI owns undeveloped land in Bubny. Havelka considers the current construction ban on this area to be illegal. “The zoning plan should unblock that. It is an area between two metro stations with all the necessary infrastructure. It is a great shame that we are allowing thistles to grow there,” he added.

Marcel Soural, chairman of the board of Trigema, described the current situation in the apartment market in the capital as dire, stating that the supply of apartments in Prague has halved over the last two years. The approval process has practically come to a standstill. The metropolitan plan should be unambiguous, so that the relevant building authority can immediately make decisions about approvals.

According to the general director of Finep Tomáš Pardubický, the metropolitan plan concerns not only developers but all investors and residents of the city. “The construction proceedings should be depoliticized, and deadlines for approvals should be adhered to. These deadlines already exist today. In 90 percent of cases, due to appeals, the proceedings are additionally moved to court. And there, deadlines are not defined at all,” Pardubický added.