Planning Spanish Catalonia

Planning permission in Spanish Catalonia

we provide a full planning service throughout Catalonia and Spain. Whether you wish to reform, extend, construct a property, Spanish Planning Permission can assist you. Spanish Planning Permission are experts in realizing solutions to Spanish planning disputes, you may have a dispute – a planning infraction, or you may be trying to obtain permissions for rustic property. You may need a Cédula de Habitabilidad or a tourism license for your holiday business – rental of your apartment or villa. Spanish planning Permission can assist – Mail Us your query.

The laws concerning Spanish planning permission, relating to Spanish property whether urbanised or rustic are complex. To complicate issues further, in Spain, there is not a central planning authority to deal with Spanish planning permission issues for Spanish property. The Ministry, the Autonomous Communities and the Municipalities are involved in the process of granting Spanish planning permission.

In general any improvement or alteration to your Spanish property requires some form of Spanish planning permission. Furthermore if you intend to fell trees on your Spanish property you need to ensure that they are not protected, if you chop down certain trees without permission you will face legal consequences.

Solutions.

At Spanish Planning Permission we offer solutions to your Spanish planning permission issues – whether or not you have commenced construction or alteration of an existing building at your Spanish property. It is imperative that you seek independent qualified advice before you commence any work to any property in Spain and the Spanish Islands /Territories.
Buying Spanish Property.

When buying Spanish property, you may be under the misapprehension that the Notary who conducts the sale/ purchase of your Spanish property will be ‘ au fait’ with the current laws appertaining to Spanish planning permission. Not so, the Notary is empowered to ensure that the sale is conducted in accordance with the current laws that appertain to the sale and purchase of Spanish property. It will be assumed that you, the purchaser of the Spanish property have made your own checks, legal checks and checks regarding the relevancy of Spanish planning permission, as to the viability of whatever project you have in mind, or to whether you can actually live in the Spanish property that you intend to purchase (ie that the property is urbanised, has the relevant, Licencia de primera ocupación and Cédula de habitabilidad - the two latter documents will not be required if you intend just to purchase agricultural land to farm ). We at Spanish Planning Permission can assist with the pre-purchase checks to ensure that you are purchasing the Spanish property that is fit for your purpose.
The Cédula de Habitabilidad is one of the most problematic issues currently, particularly in Catalonia.

This is a document issued by the local authority, upon request (it is not automatic), it has a term of 15 years and needs to be renewed upon expiry. The document confirms that a property conforms to certain minimum requirements and that it is fit for purpose – ie that the property can be inhabited. The certificate – Cédula de Habitabilidad – is required;

    To legally occupy a property
    To have services such as water and electricity connected to your property
    It is also now required to be produced to a Notary if you intend to sell your property on as a habitable structure.
    It is required if you let out your property.
    Please be advised that if you let property out on a commercial (tourism) basis there are further regulations that have to be adhered to – failing to adhere to such regulations can lead to fines, imprisonment and confiscation of property.

The legal Decree 55/2009, came into force on October 9, 2009, and replaces Decree 259/2003 of 21 October; this decree sets out the minimum requirements of habitability for residential buildings – it sets out the minimum requirements to obtain the certificate to confirm the right of occupancy and details circumstances when previous certificates would be revoked. If you have taken possession of a new construction this certificate should in general, be obtained and provided by your builder or architect in order that the property can be legally entered into the property escritura by a Notary as a habitable home. For a self build providing you have all the relevant papers you can apply yourself to the appropriate authority. The decree supersedes all previous legal doctrines.

Contact Us at Spanish Planning Permission for assistance with your Spanish planning permission issues – we have specialists waiting to assist you.