Urban planning rules: a simplification to relaunch housing construction this Thursday at the Assembly

The text, tabled by Harold Huwart, MP for Eure-et-Loir, and supported by the government, proposes to relax the guidelines for building permits and planning permissions in order to facilitate their development and the emergence of new housing construction projects. The stated objective is to simplify the lives of local authorities and, above all, "so that simplification can contribute to the effort to boost housing production," explains the office of the Ministry of Housing.

"We are not touching on everything related to environmental protection and heritage protection, but we are reforming procedural delays or procedural incongruities that are unjustified," explained Harold Huwart.

Towards a simplification of procedures?

The documents affected by these simplification measures are local urban planning plans (PLU), territorial coherence plans, building permits, and appeals. Multi-site development permits, for example, are now widespread. Currently, a developer wishing to launch an operation with several buildings on non-contiguous plots must apply for a permit per plot, which represents a significant procedural burden for local authorities.

The text proposes to allow for an exemption from the PLU to authorize the construction of housing in commercial or tertiary zones undergoing transformation. Another bill specifically aimed at facilitating the conversion of offices into housing is being put forward by Romain Daubié, MP for Ensemble de l'Ain, and will be examined by the joint committee at the end of May.