General development plan: changes ... and consequences!
The General Development Plan (GAP) is a technical and complex instrument that guides the development of the City and its neighborhoods, but also affects landowners who have acquired land or who want to start construction or renovation work. In the coming weeks, 36 Luxembourg municipalities will be concerned by a redesign of their PAG, with sometimes significant consequences for the owners.
What is the PAG exactly?
Municipal Planning Regulation, the PAG lists the rules applicable throughout the municipal territory in terms of land use. It includes the different functions that can take the land (green areas, residential or commercial, flood plots ...), but also the limits of authorized constructions: building surface, number of lots ...
More simply, the PAG defines the future (and not current) use of land and the assignments established according to the divisions of the municipality, in order to guarantee good living conditions. It is the main tool for urban development of the City and its neighborhoods. In Luxembourg, there is a PAG in the 102 municipalities in the country.
the differences between PAP and PAP
The PAG intervenes in addition to the PAP (Special Planning Plan) and provides additional details. For non-urban areas, it will be called "new neighborhood" PAP, while for already urbanized areas, it will be an "existing neighborhood" PAP. Since 2011, all urbanized and urbanized areas must have a PAP.
Any natural or legal person who wishes to develop a land or a building following an acquisition or reassignment can contact the municipality to introduce either a request for modification of a MAP or a request for a plan special development plan (PAP).
PAG new generation: what impact for owners?
Sometimes considered obsolete, some "old milling" PAG dated 1937 will have to be modified before the end of the year. This is the case for nearly 40 municipalities across the Grand Duchy. The purpose of this review is to best match today's challenges by clarifying and coordinating the various existing regulations. Luxembourg is in full development, and this overhaul must help meet the new legal and technical requirements that emerge.
The new PAGs of the 36 municipalities concerned will have to be ready by the deadline of 1 November 2019, sometimes with significant consequences for the affected owners. In fact, some people will be able to see their parcels change suddenly, an evolution that may affect the value of their property. As construction potential is one of the determining factors in the sale price of land and certain buildings, any modification of the PAG can have a direct financial impact, whether positive or negative.