346
The base of urban planning law (Act on the Formation and Protection of the Built
Environment) was adopted by the Hungarian Parliament in 1997, after a 7 year
period of preparatory work. It was modelled on the German law (Baugesetzbuch).
The Act was supplemented in the same year by a central government statute, the
National Building Code (OTÉK). Besides the National Building Code some other
governmental edicts give orders regarding the detailed contents of the particular
plans. The Code is binding on all local planning decisions, but municipalities are
permitted to render its maximum/minimum standards more “rigorous”. The 1997
Act introduced four planning tools, namely:
– Urban-planning development strategy
– Urban Development Concept
– Structure Plan (preparatory land use plan)
– Regulatory Plan (binding land use plan)
– Local Building Code.
– the Action plan is though not part of the edict, but it is used quite often, if needed.
(The action plan is a mide-term operational plan concerning to a particular part
of a given territory.
The fi rst two tools are adopted by the local authorities through a local government decision (e.g. they are “only” binding on the local government and it’s organisations), the other two are adopted through a local government statute (i.e. they are
binding for all concerned – e.g. property owners and developers).
Planning decisions are enforced by the Building Authorities functioning as
departments of local government offi ces in cities and bigger villages. For some
building affairs (i.e. heritage buildings, heritage areas, Natura 2000 districts) other
state agencies function as fi rst level building authorities and their full consent is
needed for the issuing a building permit. As in the case of planning legislation, none
of these authorities and agencies has discretionary powers, but operate in terms of
the platform of law administered and enforced by them. The second level building
authority – the place for appeals against decisions – operates within the State
Government Offi ces in each County.
13.1.2 Growing Environmental Complexity of Urban
Planning in Hungary
While the permitted regulatory content of urban physical building plans in Hungary
is rather limited, another important trend facilitates their complexity. Most state agencies, representing specifi c professional fi elds look at local physical plans as “omnipotent” tools for the assertion of their interests. That is why a great – and growing – number
of so called “supporting studies” should be worked out as part of a local plan.
These include:
– the protection of local historic and architectural heritage (including archaeology),
– environmental protection and control
G. Baranka et al.
The base of urban planning law (Act on the Formation and Protection of the Built
Environment) was adopted by the Hungarian Parliament in 1997, after a 7 year
period of preparatory work. It was modelled on the German law (Baugesetzbuch).
The Act was supplemented in the same year by a central government statute, the
National Building Code (OTÉK). Besides the National Building Code some other
governmental edicts give orders regarding the detailed contents of the particular
plans. The Code is binding on all local planning decisions, but municipalities are
permitted to render its maximum/minimum standards more “rigorous”. The 1997
Act introduced four planning tools, namely:
– Urban-planning development strategy
– Urban Development Concept
– Structure Plan (preparatory land use plan)
– Regulatory Plan (binding land use plan)
– Local Building Code.
– the Action plan is though not part of the edict, but it is used quite often, if needed.
(The action plan is a mide-term operational plan concerning to a particular part
of a given territory.
The fi rst two tools are adopted by the local authorities through a local government decision (e.g. they are “only” binding on the local government and it’s organisations), the other two are adopted through a local government statute (i.e. they are
binding for all concerned – e.g. property owners and developers).
Planning decisions are enforced by the Building Authorities functioning as
departments of local government offi ces in cities and bigger villages. For some
building affairs (i.e. heritage buildings, heritage areas, Natura 2000 districts) other
state agencies function as fi rst level building authorities and their full consent is
needed for the issuing a building permit. As in the case of planning legislation, none
of these authorities and agencies has discretionary powers, but operate in terms of
the platform of law administered and enforced by them. The second level building
authority – the place for appeals against decisions – operates within the State
Government Offi ces in each County.
13.1.2 Growing Environmental Complexity of Urban
Planning in Hungary
While the permitted regulatory content of urban physical building plans in Hungary
is rather limited, another important trend facilitates their complexity. Most state agencies, representing specifi c professional fi elds look at local physical plans as “omnipotent” tools for the assertion of their interests. That is why a great – and growing – number
of so called “supporting studies” should be worked out as part of a local plan.
These include:
– the protection of local historic and architectural heritage (including archaeology),
– environmental protection and control
G. Baranka et al.