Black Sea law to tame coastal construction in Bulgaria

Construction
THE Cabinet approved a Bulgarian Black Sea Coast Development Bill on February 17 in an attempt to counter excessive construction along the coastline that is jeopardising tourism.
The bill envisages the introduction of two construction zones - Zone A and Zone B, along the coast, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Assen Gagauzov told a news conference after the Cabinet’s decision.
Zone A will be an area of special protection regarding permissible construction. It includes the beaches, dense forests, sand dunes, coastal lakes, lagoons, firths and wetlands as well as part of the agricultural land and forest areas bordering the beaches. In these areas construction density cannot exceed 20 per cent. The height of constructions cannot be over 7.5 m.
Zone B will include agricultural land and forest areas two km inland from the border with Zone A. Building waste dumps and waste treatment facilities will be forbidden, as well as discharging effluence, used plant protection materials and fertilisers and developing new productions emitting harmful substances. The height of constructions in Zone B should not exceed 15 m and construction density should not be higher than 30 per cent.
“Over the past few years we have witnessed a strong investment interest and excessive construction along the Black Sea coast which resulted in the excessive urbanisation of valuable territories and illegal construction on protected territories,” Gagauzov said.
He said that environmental problems were deepening, there were no purification facilities and forests and green areas were being destroyed.
“The bill will not have a retroactive effect, which means that what has been built so far will not be demolished,” Gagauzov said.
His comment triggered serious criticism as it appeared to show the state’s unwillingness and even inability to deal with illegal developers and their buildings. Local media commented that the Government had given up looking for “revenge from those who had illegally seized public property”.
The new bill gives the first-ever definition of “sea beach” and “sea shore”. This way, the Cabinet will for the first time vest in a law the statute of territories that are its exclusive property. Lacking definitions has allowed so far the construction of tall hotel buildings even on the sea sand, with their developers showing documents of constructing on agricultural land.
It is not clear yet, however, where the division line between the beach and the shore will run, and this is also needed in order to define the public state-property’s borders. Despite saying that his ministry had information on the shore and beach territories, Gagauzov would not elaborate on what would be done if a private property is in the state-property area.
The new bill would soon be submitted to Parliament for approval, where heated debates could be expected, Gagauzov said. His expectations are that fierce attacks may be launched against the Cabinet because of “lobbyist interests”. Owners of land that bought with the perspective of selling at much higher prices will be hardest hit by the new law.
Lydia Stankova, a specialist with the Regional Development and Public Works Ministry, said that the real estate already built in the future Zone A would hardly see a drop.
The new restrictive measures are even expected to boost up the prices of these properties, especially since they will receive legal approval.
http://www.sofiaecho.com/
(27.02.2006)