Government Decree No. 315/2022 (VIII.16.) on the modification of certain construction, cultural heritage protection, asset management and government administration decrees (“Modification Decree”) has extended the powers of the National Architectural Planning Council. However, one might just wonder what exactly this organisation was doing previously. This article gives a brief overview of the National Architectural Planning Council and its functions.
A planning council is a body that has an advisory role and consists of natural persons who have exceptional theoretical and practical knowledge in the fields of architectural and technical design and cultural heritage protection. A planning council consists of a Chairperson and several members who have the right to cast votes in the council’s meetings. The members of a planning council are appointed at its Chairperson’s recommendation. [Government Decree No. 252/2006, Section 2]
Based on their functions, there are two categories of planning councils, namely zoning councils and architectural and technical councils.
The National Architectural Planning Council is a central architectural and technical council that has jurisdiction over the entire territory of Hungary and is headed by the National Chief Architect (currently Balázs Lánszki Regő). [Government Decree No. 252/2006. (XII. 7.), Sections 9(1) and 3(1)a)]
Even before the adoption of the Modification Decree, the National Architectural Planning Council was responsible, in specific cases defined the relevant regulations, for evaluating and expressing an opinion on:
- architectural and technical documentation associated with prominent national memorial sites,
- architectural and technical documentation associated with building projects qualifying as high-priority strategic projects,
- documentation that is mandatory in regulatory procedures concerning building permits, cultural heritage protection permits and cultural heritage protection registration in connection with national memorial sites,
- documentation that is mandatory in regulatory procedures concerning building permits, cultural heritage protection permits and cultural heritage protection registration in connection with prominently protected monuments and the related land,
- documentation that is mandatory in regulatory procedures concerning building permits in connection with protected monuments and the related land, and
- architectural and technical documentation of buildings taller than 65 metres that is to be submitted before the start of a related procedure concerning a building permit, combined building permit, regularisation certificate or combined installation permit.
[Govt. Decree No. 252/2006. (XII. 7.), Sections 9(2)a) through f)]
The Modification Decree states that starting from 17 August 2022, the National Architectural Planning Council is also responsible for reviewing and evaluating the architectural and technical documentation of government building projects within the meaning of Act CXXXVIII of 2018 on Government Building Projects as well as the the architectural and technical documentation of buildings with a total useful area of more than 5,000 sqm and apartment buildings located on a single building plot with at least six apartments and a total useful area of more than 1,500 sqm. [Modification Decree, Sections (1) through (4); Govt. Decree No. 252/2006. (XII. 7.), Sections 9(2)g) and 9(2a)]
For a detailed discussion of the provisions of the Modification Decree that affect building permission procedures, please click here.
Authors: András Fenyőházi and Zsanett Szabó
