About half of all detailed plans relating to housing construction are appealed in Stockholm and Gothenburg, which delays new housing. This is the opinion of the trade organization Byggföretagen, which wants to see restrictions on the possibility of appeals.
Anders Henriksson, villa owner in the Sankt Jörgen residential area in Gothenburg points to the plot where there are plans to build.
– Here they want to build a 13-storey high-rise in an area that is characterized by low-rise buildings and has conservation status, he says.
Together with several neighbors, he has now appealed the detailed plan – and they are far from alone. In Stockholm and Gothenburg, around half of the detailed plans relating to housing are appealed each year, which the industry organization Byggföretagen believes inhibits housing construction.
Curb the housing shortage
– According to the Housing Authority, there is a need to build 67,000 new homes next year, but according to our forecasts, only about 23,000 will start. It curbs the housing shortage, says Petra Sedelius, responsible for economic policy at Byggföretagen i väst.
In order to speed up housing construction, Byggföretagen now wants to see regulatory changes. They propose, among other things, deadlines for court proceedings and to increase the possibilities for trade-offs between the Environmental Code and the Planning and Building Act. In addition, they want to see restrictions on the possibility of appealing detailed plans.
Different opinions
– It is only twelve percent of the appeals that result in a change in the municipalities’ detailed plans. Just over 80 percent is just a waste of time, says Petra Sedelius, who is countered by Anders Henriksson.
– No, it’s not a waste of time. We live in a democracy. All power comes from the people and not the construction companies and their profit interests.
Isn’t it a fundamental right to appeal against a detailed plan that you consider to be incorrect?
– Yes, but when 50 percent of homes are appealed in Gothenburg and Stockholm, we think it is excessive, says Petra Sedelius.