Council of States wants to regulate building in hamlet zones nationwide
Published: Monday, Dec 18th 2023, 18:00
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New buildings should be allowed to be constructed in hamlets, especially if these buildings close gaps between buildings. The Council of States agrees with a request from the canton of St. Gallen to draw up nationwide regulations on this.
On Monday, the small chamber supported a St. Gallen state initiative by 23 votes to 17. The small chamber's Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy (Urek-S) had requested a no vote by a very narrow majority. The issue met with both reluctance and understanding in the committee.
Some committee members were of the opinion that new buildings in hamlets contradicted the image of the historically grown hamlet. Others were of the opinion that the requirements for building in hamlets severely restricted their preservation and development. There were also voices in the Urek-S for more legal certainty.
Esther Friedli (SVP/SG) moved that the initiative be approved. She said that there are typical hamlets for the region in many cantons and that the cantons themselves could designate usage zones for hamlets. However, courts had judged hamlet zones as non-building zones, and this blocked development. This is why politics is needed.
The National Council now has to deal with the initiative.
©Keystone/SDA
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