[photopress:real_estate_development_must_follow_laws_1.jpg,full,alignright]A draft law states developments without planning permits or deviating from approved plans will be stopped and the builders fined between 5 and 10% of the project’s budget.
If developers refuse to halt construction, local governments will have the power to close down the building site and demolish the partly-built development.
The tough draft law has already been discussed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC).
Minister of Construction Wang Guangtao said, ‘Punishing these planning violations has long been a headache because of the lack of clear laws and regulations. This time, we made it clear.’
The draft law could also be used to prevent local governments from changing plans frequently, as it details procedures for making and changing plans.
Under the law, plans could be changed if a higher-level plan is changed, or if the State Council approves major construction projects nearby and existing plans need changing to adapt to it. In some circumstances other higher-level governments will also be able to revise plans.
Wang accused local governments of blindly chasing urban development and approving ‘vanity projects’. He said, ‘We want to make it clear that a region’s development plan should not change just because individual governments officials want it to. . . . New problems have emerged in urban and rural planning. Misuse of land is serious in some rural areas, and current rural planning is inadequate and fails to meet the needs of farmers.’
The NPC Standing Committee will continue to discuss the draft law Wednsday.
Source: China View