29 Draft Urban Area Plans Submitted For Approval, Irregularities Found

The agenda of the Bucharest City Council meeting scheduled for Friday includes the approval of 29 Urban Area Plans (PUZ), but Asociatia Salvati Bucurestiul (the Save Bucharest Association) has identified virtually all types of abuses against which the civil society and various professional organisations in Romania have been fighting for years.

According to a press release to BURSA, four of the Urban Area Plans propose the legalization of buildings that have been built in excess of the parameters specified in the construction permit or simply without any construction permit. The Association exemplifies with a building located at 55 Primaverii Street, which is 30 metres high in a protected area with a height limit of 13 metres.

Twelve Urban Area Plans include excessive derogations from the land use coefficient, causing excessive urban agglomeration. The Association exemplifies with an Urban Area Plan for 295-303 Calea Vacarestilor with a coefficient of 7 and an Urban Area Plan for 141 Iuliu Maniu Blvd. with a coefficient of 5. Additionally, 10 Urban Area Plans stipulate excessive construction in protected areas or historical area of the city that would cause aesthetic detriment to the surroundings.

"This is the last meeting of the Bucharest City Council when Urban Area Plans can still be adopted under the old Urban Planning Law. The amendments adopted by Ordinance no. 27/08 come into effect as of 30 September 2009. According to these amendments, only derogations for up to 20 per cent of the land use coefficient will be allowed. Additionally, land use coefficients higher than 4 will be banned," the Association announced.