Amendment of the Code of Territorial Development

The Walloon Parliament has adopted a significant reform of the Code of Territorial Development (Code du Développement Territorial –Territoriale Ontwikkelingscode). The reform has five major areas of focus: (i) spatial optimisation to reduce urban sprawl, (ii) integration of the permit for commercial establishments into the existing procedure for building permits, (iii) harmonisation of procedures for issuing permits and flexibility in planning charges, (iv) integration of the post-flood recommendations of 2021, and (v) dematerialisation of administrative tasks as a result of the pandemic. In this article, our real estate team highlights the main aspects of the reform and their impact on the sector.