📋 Tender Overview
The cabinet has approved a draft reform of the state building regulations. This is intended to make building in Baden-Württemberg faster and easier. The reform is divided into four areas and will advance the reduction of bureaucracy.
Building in Baden-Württemberg should become faster and easier. To this end, the state cabinet launched numerous changes to the state building code (LBO) on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. " Housing construction is in crisis. Building is too complicated and too expensive. One factor in this is government regulations and requirements. With our LBO reform, we want to pull the lever: We want to change the system from 'control' to 'enabling' and finally release the brakes on construction. To do this, we are simplifying and accelerating the procedures. This is the only way we can get housing construction going again," said Construction Minister Nicole Razavi .
The LBO reform “Faster Construction” is divided into four areas:
The first area contains measures to optimize and accelerate the building permit process, for example by introducing a fictitious approval, abolishing the objection procedure and introducing a type approval. "If there is still no decision after three months, many building applications will automatically be considered approved in the future with the fictitious approval. My clear goal is for builders to obtain their building permits more quickly, more easily and with less paperwork," said Construction Minister Razavi.
The second area aims to reduce construction standards. Examples of this include the simplification of building in existing buildings, the revision of the children's playground obligation and the simplification of the distance regulation. "We are making specifications more flexible, more practical and easier to implement. The LBO is not tasked with setting gold standards, but rather with ensuring minimum standards."
The third area contains measures to strengthen the building law authorities and to improve the skilled workforce situation. Among other things, minimum personnel requirements for the lower building law authorities are to be introduced, the training and further education of the building law administration is to be improved and uniform knowledge management is to be ensured across the country.
The fourth area is aimed at expanding renewable energies : the construction of charging stations for electric cars should be made easier.
Build faster, easier and cheaper
The reform is now being consulted and will then be submitted to the state parliament after being discussed again by the cabinet . The state government's aim is for the reform to be approved by the state parliament in 2025 and then come into force. Construction Minister Razavi encouraged all those involved and responsible to participate constructively in this process. "Now it's time to make a decision," she said. "The LBO reform provides extensive proposals to make construction faster, easier and therefore cheaper. We are not talking about reducing bureaucracy . We are delivering. The current construction crisis requires bold steps and determination from everyone involved."
The most important changes to the State Building Code (LBO) at a glance:
Presumption of approval
Objection procedure
Type approval
Simplified building permit procedure
List of projects exempt from procedure
Neighbourhood participation
Protection of existing rights
Clearance areas
Fire protection
Children's playgrounds
Charging stations for electric vehicles
Photovoltaic systems
Building law authorities
Knowledge platform “Build the Länd”
Training
LBO reforms
The planned LBO reform “Faster construction” is already the fourth LBO change in this legislative period. In the three previous amendments, among other things, it was made easier to add floors to existing buildings for residential purposes (as part of the Climate Protection Act ) and to erect cell phone masts . In addition, the state building regulations were made fit for the digitalization of building law procedures (Virtual Building Authority) .
