Developers are talking about a crisis and a fiasco in Brno due to the construction proceedings

Brno – Words like fiasco and crisis, according to representatives of developers, aptly describe the current situation surrounding the building permit processes in Brno, where national digitalization has collided with the centralization of procedures under one main authority. They fear delays in projects due to waiting for approvals or completions. They consider the establishment of a central authority a good idea, but it would be more appropriate to postpone it so that the change does not occur simultaneously with the transition to new systems. Problems were to be expected, stated Vladimír Pacek, director of K4 Architects & Engineers, at a roundtable of developers.

Building authorities in the Czech Republic have been complaining since early July about difficulties with the new online systems for building permits. Officials reported in ČTK surveys that the systems have numerous flaws or unfinished aspects and are making their work harder. Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš (Pirates) responded to calls for his resignation by saying he does not want to run away from unfinished work. The ministry is continuously adjusting the systems.

"We are waiting for the officials to get oriented. It will definitely cause some delays," said Michal Dospěl, regional construction director of CTP for Brno and Southern Moravia. "For us, it’s a negative, paralyzing situation, but also for the builder who wants to build, for example, a garage," added Dalibor Lamka, Executive Director of Trikaya.

The central building authority has been operating in Brno's Orlí Street since early July, when the new building law and the related digitalization of the building permit process came into effect. It replaced smaller building authorities in city districts, which developers generally welcome. "For years, we encountered the incompetence of officials at small building authorities," Lamka stated. "Each of those offices operated as a world unto itself," Pacek added.

However, the change, in combination with digitalization, will likely bring delays until everything starts running at a normal pace. Thousands of new applications have poured into the new office, and additional files have been transferred from old offices. Lamka expects that their processing will be very slow. New projects will suffer as a result, he said. On the other hand, he claims to see good will and willingness to communicate among the central office's staff, which he considers a signal of positive change.