Urban Planning Law
Although spatial planning and urban planning have always been a primary priority of the State, nevertheless it happens paradoxically that even today half of Greece is outside urban planning.
Article 24 of the Greek Constitution contains provisions, which, as consistently interpreted by the case law of the Council of State, contain commitments and requirements to the legislator and the Public Administration. These provisions, among other things, impose the spatial and urban organization of the country and, in fact, they delete a framework of more specific regulations and procedures in order to enable the implementation of urban plans.
The law of spatial planning and urban planning has a wide scope, as it regulates the development of human activities in places of different scales, such as the city, the region or the whole territory of a country. It sets the framework for housing development, the positioning of productive activities and infrastructure, the protection of natural sites and the preservation of traditional ensembles and buildings. It thus directly affects the exercise of many rights, especially property rights.
Of course, any legislative effort aimed at the integration of an area in a spatial or urban planning usually causes difficulties for the residents of that area. This is because it implies an infringement of the absolute and constitutionally guaranteed right of ownership (real estate), either by deprivation of it (street expropriation) or by its restriction (land contribution).
The law of spatial planning and urban planning obviously has its peculiarities. However, our law firm with years of experience is ready to provide services regarding all problems of spatial / urban planning law, which may arise such as:
- a) the arrangement of arbitrary constructions,
- b) the issuance of building permits (validity, revision, file update),
(c) the provision of legal protection for the annulment of a building permit or for the protection of a building permit which has been infringed by third parties;
- d) issues of road and forced expropriations as well as compensation for them,
- e) coastal discharge protocols,
- f) issues related to off-plan construction
