Spatial reform isn't working. The buildings are so spread out that they can't be put together.
- Due to the fact that from July 2026, decisions on development conditions will only be able to be issued in areas designated for development in the general plan and for a maximum period of 5 years, Poles rushed to obtain "wuzetka".
- These decisions will also be issued in areas where development is formally prohibited in general plans.
- "Even if we adopt the general plan, 80% of the issued development decisions will fall within the open zone, with no development allowed. This defies logic," says Krzysztof Grad, mayor of the Chmielnik commune.
- The amendment also did not eliminate the possibility of dispersed development. "All it takes is purchasing a hectare of forest with a piece of field or plot of land, and you'll be able to apply for a farm development, even though the plot is a kilometer from the nearest road," explains Dr. Wiesław Kąkol, mayor of Boguchwała.
As a result of the 2023 spatial planning reform, the rules for issuing development decisions will change. Currently, they are issued for an indefinite period, but after the municipalities adopt a general plan, which they are required to do by June 30, 2026, issuing a "wuzetka" will only be possible in areas permitted by the general plan, and for a maximum period of five years.
Municipal offices are inundated with applications for permits. This will deepen the spatial chaos.Poles who are aware of changes in the law want to protect their assets against loss of value as much as possible.
In my opinion, the act contains a number of absurd provisions, such as the one that states that once the general plan is prepared, the municipality still issues decisions on development conditions. And we issue a multitude of these decisions. Therefore, even if we adopt the general plan, practically 80 percent of the issued decisions on development conditions will be included in the general plan's open zone, where development is prohibited. This defies logic.
- says Krzysztof Grad, mayor of the Chmielnik commune.
" Our office is currently inundated with applications for development permits. Residents who follow changes in the law know that currently, "wuzetka" permits are issued indefinitely. Even if the general plan doesn't designate a resident's plot in a zone permitting residential development, the currently issued "wuzetka" will allow them to build a house, " explains Dr. Wiesław Kąkol, mayor of the Boguchwała commune. "This is odd because it means that the regulations have been constructed so that, even though we adopt a general plan intended to control spatial chaos, we will simultaneously have up to 3,000 "wuzetka" permits issued in areas not designated as development zones in the general plan, " he adds.
When residents rely on decisions that have already been issued or are currently being processed, the space in the commune will look completely different than it would have been taken into account when adopting the general plan.
Spatial planning reform has significant gaps. Scattered development will continue.Although the amendment to the Spatial Planning and Development Act was intended to regulate spatial order, it should have been passed in this form 30 years ago. Today, we're in such a mess that the act doesn't change much. In our municipality, for example, there are towns where houses are two kilometers from the road in one direction and two kilometers from the road in the other.
"emphasizes Mayor Dr. Wiesław Kąkol, adding: " The 2023 amendment still allows for dispersed development. Simply purchasing a hectare of forest with a piece of field or plot of land will allow for the development of a farmstead , even though the plot is a kilometer from the nearest road. This translates into costs for the municipality , as residents who build in remote areas later expect the municipality to build roads, sewers, and snow removal. The 2023 amendment did not address this anomaly."
Mayor Krzysztof Grad, however, points out that those who want to build a house on the open-ended "wuzetka" may have trouble obtaining a mortgage, for example . Planning documentation will indicate that the plot, although a planning permission has been issued for it, is located in an open zone with no development permitted .
Mayor Dr. Wiesław Kąkol also emphasizes that the spatial planning reform lacked real and effective negotiations between the Ministry of Development and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture. This stems from the fact that land classes I-III, i.e., those of the highest and highest quality, are primarily designated for agricultural production, and development on them is only possible after obtaining consent to exclude them from agricultural production.
The Ministry of Agriculture does not declassify plots of land of the third class or higher, so even if we wanted to designate areas for residential development in the countryside in the general plan, there is a problem with declassification
- explains Mayor Dr. Wiesław Kąkol and adds: - Currently, we need solutions other than those included in the 2023 amendment. The development is so spread out that we are unable to put it together, and if we were to succeed, it would be in several decades - adds Mayor Dr. Wiesław Kąkol.
The new regulations certainly don't shape spatial order; they only introduce more chaos. We won't stop the expansion of development if the draft general plan shows that, in addition to the areas designated as development zones, many other municipal areas (apart from forests or those designated for afforestation) are covered by applications from parties or issued development decisions. The authors of this law should consider its purpose, because in my opinion, it certainly doesn't introduce urban order.
- summarizes Mayor Krzysztof Grad.
