Flemish government aims to limit construction delays by raising appeal costs
The Flemish government plans to at least double the cost for citizens to appeal government-approved permits, De Standaard writes on Friday after confirmation from the cabinet of Environment minister Jo Brouns. The measure is part of a broader effort to make the region’s permitting system more flexible.
The Council for Permit Disputes reviews whether building projects comply with spatial planning laws and can annul permits if necessary. Today, it costs 100 euros for citizens to file an appeal. The Flemish government now wants to make access to the court more difficult by raising the cost towards 200 to 300 euros.
The government stresses that the fee hike is mainly a signal to ensure appeals are well-considered rather than an outright barrier. Brouns also warned that appeals deemed “reckless or vexatious” could result in fines. Last year, 60 per cent of admissible appeals were upheld.
“The cost of handling an appeal often exceeds 5,000 euros per case," Brouns’ office noted. "That means the gap between those costs and what people have to pay to file an appeal is very large."
Limiting red tape
The move comes amid criticism over delays and bureaucracy in Flanders’ permitting system. At the unveiling of a plastic recycling plant in Antwerp on Thursday, entrepeneur Fernand Huts said he wants to build even larger plant in the region. But that depends on "legal security and a licence that will not be taken away after a few years."
"Construction projects today require more lawyers than architects," Brouns noted. To this end, the government is reviewing the entire permitting process. Project developers will be required to involve local residents earlier, while the 1,200 pages of spatial planning rules will be pared back.
#FlandersNewsService | Environment minister Jo Brouns. © BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE
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