Czech building law amendment threatens heritage protection

A draft amendment to the Czech Republic's building law is being prepared. Government officials say the changes will speed up construction permitting, introduce a single approval stamp for whole projects, shorten administrative deadlines and give municipalities more influence over local plans.

Critics, including heritage specialists and environmental activists, argue the bill will dramatically weaken heritage protection. They point out that the role of the National Heritage Institute would be reduced, expert opinions on historic structures would be limited to ten days, and centralised building offices could approve deviations from local plans without transparent public input. Protesters displayed signs such as “Lex developer” and warned that developers could more easily build in historic city centres, risking irreversible damage to UNESCO‑listed sites and other cultural landmarks.

Experts cited include heritage officer Richard Biegel, who said the ten‑day review period is insufficient, and lawyer Petr Svoboda, who warned that “developers as predators will be able to quickly demolish beautiful places where we live.” The amendment is expected to be voted on by parliament in the coming weeks.