Architects: The Building Act has become a political and electoral issue

Prague - According to the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA), the new building law has unfortunately mainly become a political and pre-election topic. It should be the result of broader consensus among politicians, similar to pension reform, the chamber informed ČTK today. The Senate today returned the law for discussion in the Chamber of Deputies, and 101 votes will be needed for its approval. The Ministry for Regional Development (MMR), as the proposer, hopes for a fundamental simplification and acceleration of the building approval process, but the regulation has many critics.

"The Czech Chamber of Architects has long demanded and supported the adoption of the new legal norm. However, it seems that the result of more than two years of work by many experts may end up in the trash. The chamber supported the possibility of Senate amendments to the building law proposal adopted by the Chamber of Deputies on May 26. Unfortunately, the process of recodifying building law has become a purely political and pre-election topic. We must respect this outcome," said ČKA Chairman Jan Kasl.

According to him, the Senate could have supplemented some of the rejected amendments from the Chamber that related to the status of self-governance in the permitting process and restored full competence in preparing territorial plans. "Continuing the current state is at least not a good solution. Artificially created slogans about building apartments without windows or a new 'mega-office' that will decide about family houses in a municipality in Karlovy Vary from Ostrava have unfortunately imprinted themselves in the minds of the public and politicians. It seems that ANO movement will also fail in adopting a fundamental legislative change that could stimulate the Czech economy in the post-COVID period," Kasl further stated.

The Senate unanimously rejected the proposal for the new building law. Senators were mainly bothered by the transfer of building authorities under the state and the centralization of building administration under the Supreme Building Authority, which could facilitate the approval of large projects. Senators also feared that, if the change were approved, building proceedings would slow down. Three Senate committees and the permanent commission for rural development recommended rejecting the law. The Senate also rejected the amendment law today, which aims to modify over sixty related regulations.

The new building law has been in preparation for several years. The government hopes mainly for faster building proceedings. The Minister for Regional Development Klára Dostálová (for ANO) previously stated that she would seek support in the Chamber, including from KSČM deputies, who did not support the law during the previous approval process.

The establishment of the Supreme Building Authority with regional building authorities and their territorial offices was included in the law in the Chamber, which the original government proposal did not count on. The change would mean that building authorities would no longer fall under municipalities. This was already criticized by the opposition in the Chamber, and senators labeled it as a dismantling of the unified model of public administration.