Bauchaos in Graz: Eight years on approval - where is politics?

Bauchaos in Graz: Eight years on approval - where is politics?

The discussion about the construction delays in Austria is picking up. In view of the dramatic situation, the Vöpe - Association of Austrian project developers - demands that political decision -makers urgently take measures to accelerate the approval procedures. President Andreas Köttl draws attention to the precarious situation that a Styrian project developer has experienced who has been waiting for a development plan for a property at the Graz station belt for eight years now. According to applicable law, however, this approval should be available within 18 months, which illustrates the inadequacy of the current processes. These delays not only lead to an increase in interest rates, but also to a noticeable increase in housing prices.

"The inability to keep deadlines is a sign that the initial situation is very unsatisfactory for many projects at the moment. If the Constitutional Court, as in two cases, condemns the city of Graz for the non -compliance with this period, there is a clear problem here," Köttl criticized. The connection between slow approval processes and increasing housing prices is clear: low construction activities due to bureaucratic hurdles are political decisions that ultimately burden the marketplace. Builders and project developers therefore urgently need more predictability and transparency to promote positive development in residential construction, according to Köttl.

Association makes alarm

The Vöpe, which campaigns for the interests of project developers, warns of the serious consequences of these lengthy approval processes. As the Vöpe explains on its website, these problems are not only crucial for developers, but also for all urban development. In the end, improved planning security would also have a positive impact on the quality of life of the citizens. "We have to stop putting stones in the way of the developer," demands Köttl. The urgency of this problem cannot be emphasized enough, because the stricter requirements in living space development show that time is short. ” Vöpe recommended that the political decision -makers have to act to relax on the housing market.