The Chamber adopted a law that will ease the situation for small builders

PRAGUE - The Chamber of Deputies approved a proposal today that will ease the burden on small builders. The adopted construction law states that instead of the original building permit, citizens will only need to make a notification for small constructions. Building a family house, garage, or renovating an apartment will likely be simpler in the future. The proposal still needs to be signed by the President of the Republic.
The Association of Builders in Construction welcomes the adoption of the construction law. "The law is in favor of construction. It removes barriers that have delayed building," said SPS General Director Miloslav Mašek to ČTK. He added that, for example, objections to construction will be discussed in the preparatory phase, so the issuance of a building permit should no longer be delayed by them. Authorized inspectors will also help speed up construction, as they will be able to approve constructions alongside building authorities.
"The simplification of bureaucracy for small builders is the most positive aspect. In the field of infrastructure construction, it is certainly better when precise rules apply between the state and the owners of affected land," stated Chairman of the Board and General Director of Skanska CZ Zdeněk Burda.
The Senate returned the proposal with amendments on February 10. The upper chamber, for example, proposed to correct the wording that would allow individuals to be fined up to half a million crowns, while a company would face a smaller fine for the same offense. The Senate set the sanction equally for both groups at 200,000 crowns. The Chamber accepted the recommendations of their colleagues from the upper parliamentary chamber.
The Senate also proposed to limit the scope of the newly established role of public representative and the obligation of municipalities to establish a council for sustainable development. The possibility of expropriation was limited by the Senate only to cases of transportation and technical infrastructure construction, while the Chamber's version operated with the broader term of public beneficial construction.
The main objective of the law, which is intended to replace the statute from the mid-1960s, is to reduce bureaucracy. The law provides, for example, that family houses up to 150 square meters and three above-ground floors can be built by builders only based on a notification. The current form of occupancy permits will also be eliminated. According to Minister for Regional Development Radko Martínka, however, ongoing checks at construction sites, even after completion, should be stricter and more frequent.
The government hopes that the proposal will support regional development and apartment construction. Builders claim that the presented bill is revolutionary compared to the current legal state. Currently, preparing for construction, including permits, often takes longer than the actual execution. Builders consider the main benefit of the new law to be the reduction of bureaucracy, which will simplify the preparation and execution of constructions.
The amendment should also significantly reduce the bureaucracy associated with the preparation of large constructions. The law aims to allow authorities to conduct inspections on construction sites even after their completion. The necessity of this measure was confirmed by Martínka due to the recent roof collapses under the weight of snow. The proposal should take effect on January 1, 2007.
    
- the preparation of constructions will be simplified and expedited
- overlapping legal norms will be eliminated
- the processes of spatial planning and management will be simplified and shortened
- oversight of construction execution will be more intensive, allowing for their immediate use
- selected constructions can be started only based on a notification; these include family houses up to 150 square meters and three above-ground floors. If the authority does not request the investor to provide further documentation within 30 days, construction can begin.
- it should support the development of regions and municipalities - it is expected to aid in the growth of apartment construction and tourism
- the new legislation aims to facilitate cooperation between the public and private sectors
- the placement of constructions and the designated route should be unchallengeable in further stages of implementation after the approval of the spatial plan
- newly authorized inspectors should be created to approve smaller constructions
- the share of cost reimbursement for spatial planning documentation between the state budget and the budgets of local governments will change
- municipalities are expected to save about one-third of their money, around 94 million CZK annually
- the law should take effect from January 1, 2007, for the next 20 to 30 years