Prague will measure the duration of building permits

Prague - The capital city will measure the duration of building permit approval with the help of electronic tools, a concern raised by developers. This was approved by the council today. According to Mayor Zdeněk Hřib and MP Jakub Michálek (both Pirates), the measurement will provide the municipality, investors, and the public with accurate information about how long the zoning and building permit processes take at each of Prague's 22 building offices. Representatives of the coalition of Pirates, United Forces for Prague (TOP 09 and STAN), and Prague Sobě have previously discussed other steps to accelerate permit approvals, such as establishing a single building office for the entire metropolis.

According to Michálek, who was a city councillor in the previous electoral term, it is essential to obtain precise information about the actual duration of approvals before implementing further changes. "In order to manage the approval process objectively, it is necessary to measure it in the first place," he stated. According to him, the information should be available to the public online as early as June this year. The collection of data from individual building office systems and other institutions will be coordinated by the municipal company Operator ICT.

The lengthy approval process, especially in Prague, has faced long-term criticism from developers and politicians, who argue that it leads to lower construction activity and higher housing costs. All parties of the new Prague coalition went into last year's elections with the aim of addressing this issue, as mentioned in their joint program statement. United Forces particularly advocate for the establishment of a unified building office; however, according to earlier information, there is no consensus in the coalition regarding its implementation.

In recent years, Prague has been struggling with a housing crisis, caused by low construction and high housing prices. According to an analysis by the city’s Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), prices of new Prague apartments rose by 11 percent year-on-year as of last September, and 4,737 new units are expected to be certified this year. According to statistics from the development company Trigema, average rent without fees in Prague increased by three percent year-on-year at the end of last year, reaching 340 crowns per square meter.