Building in a protected area: between bureaucracy and the law (with Alexandre Roque)

«Alexandre Roque, a specialist in urban planning law at the law firm SRS Legal, explains that ‘the regulations governing natural parks must be incorporated into the relevant Municipal Master Plan, and it is these regulations that directly bind private individuals, particularly with regard to construction, renovation or any other town planning operation’.”

The specific location is therefore decisive. Two neighbouring properties may be subject to different regulations and have very different building allowances.

‘There is no general rule that applies to all natural areas,’ emphasises Alexandre Roque, adding that ‘each park may have several zoning categories, resulting from the need to protect different natural resources and areas with distinct characteristics’.

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According to Alexandre Roque, restoration or rehabilitation also requires opinions from the ICNF, channelled through the local councils, and “restoration can only take place if what already exists is duly licensed”.

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For Alexandre Roque, the complexity of the process justifies extra caution when purchasing land: “Buying land for a development project in a natural park without expert advice is a risk, because the rules are not uniform and the trend is towards strict restrictions on development”, he states.»