The council approved the amendment to the Prague Construction Regulations

Prague - Prague is revising the Prague Building Regulations (PBR) and will remove the requirement for so-called sun exposure of apartments, according to which direct sunlight must reach one-third of the floor area for 90 minutes on March 1. The press release was approved by the council today, after it was rejected twice in the past. Only councilors from ANO and Deputy Mayor Petr Dolínek (ČSSD) voted for the amendment. According to the Greens, the regulations will no longer protect existing buildings after the amendment. Therefore, the party will submit a proposal to the European Commission, which must notify the adjustment.

The PBR has been in effect since August 1, 2016, and as an implementing regulation to the Building Act, it defines requirements for land use and technical requirements for buildings in the metropolis. According to the city’s Institute of Planning and Development, the sunlight regulation was absurd, and architects had to design houses of bizarre shapes to comply with the norm.

"I am glad that they have approved the amendment in its original form," said Mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO). According to her, it was an outdated standard that hindered housing construction in the metropolis, which is struggling with a shortage of apartments.

The text of the amendment was criticized by the Greens, who believe it will allow new structures, especially in housing estates, to be built right next to the houses that will overshadow them. "We will consult the next steps with lawyers," said Deputy Mayor Petra Kolínská (Greens/Trojkoalice), who, like the rest of the councilors from Trojkoalice, did not vote for the proposal. According to her, there is a risk that the preparation of constructions will actually be prolonged because the number of appeals from people who were previously protected by the norm will increase. The amendment must now be codified by the European Commission, to which the Greens will turn with their objections.

Krnáčová rejected the criticism. "The amended PBR will definitely have a positive impact on construction in Prague," she stated. According to Dolínek, the support for the amendment comes from the creators of the PBR, and similar adjustments exist in other cities in the republic. "This step is not about someone being able to build another house three meters in front of your home," he added.

The sunlight requirement will be replaced by an extended regulation on natural lighting, according to which all living rooms must have windows. According to the amendment, the total area of all windows must not be less than one-tenth of the floor area of the room. The proposal also includes a requirement for sufficient spacing between buildings.

The building regulations for Prague began to develop under Mayor Tomáš Hudeček (independent, formerly TOP 09). The wording of the regulations has sparked a number of disputes, including within the Prague coalition of ANO, ČSSD, and Trojkoalice (SZ, KDU-ČSL, and STAN). After disputes arose, Krnáčová took the preparation of the regulations out of the competence of her then-deputy Matěj Stropnický (SZ/Trojkoalice) and presented a new version for discussion. Ultimately, the European Commission notified the mayor’s amendment.