Planning/urbanisation/building consent
1. Explain briefly what official permissions are needed in relation to buildings, and what authority grants them. Is permission needed for:
- The erection of a building
- The alteration of a building
- The detailed design of a building
- The materials and method of construction
- The demolition of a building
A special permission is needed for all the above mentioned actions and it is granted by the Planning Office of the area where the property is situated. In practice, the engineer who will perform the works submits all the plans and detailed designs of the construction which have to meet all the requirements set by the General Building Code.
In areas which are characterised by law as areas of archaeological interest permission by the Archaeological Service is also needed.
2. Are buildings of a certain age exempt from any of these requirements?
No, for any alteration of a building a special permission must be granted with absolutely no exception.
3. Is official permission needed for the use to which land or buildings are put?
An official permission for the use is needed especially in case of industrial use of the land or the building. Once again the permission is granted by the Planning Office.
4. How does one discover whether the necessary permissions exist? Is it recorded in the land register, cadastre or some other register?
The Planning Office keeps records for every permission granted and every building built, altered or abolished. The information is public and available for anyone interested.
5. Are additional permissions needed in particular geographical areas? How does one discover whether a property is in such an area? Is it recorded in the land register, cadastre or some other register?
The requirements set by law for building differ based on the geographical area where the land is situated. In any case the Planning Office can provide information on these requirements and on that basis it grants permission for any work on the land or the building.
6. Are there additional requirements for permission to alter or demolish certain buildings because of their age or architectural or historic value? How does one discover that such additional requirements exist? Is it recorded in the land register, cadastre or some other register?
As mentioned above (under III 1.) an additional permission is needed in case the building is situated in an area which is characterised by law as archaeological area. The permission is granted by the Archaeological Service.
Additional requirements also exist in areas characterised by law as traditional settlements or in relation to listed building (see below under IV 5.) All relevant information can be found in the Planning Office of each specific area.
