In order to develop a more attractive environment for business in the capital of Latvia and attract investors, the “green corridor” has been established in the Riga City Construction Board for faster approval of construction plans, informs Vilnis Ķirsis, the Deputy Chairman of the Riga City Council Vice-President.
“The introduction of the “green corridor” principle is a major step towards a paradigm shift in construction sphere, where the City Construction Board will be not a barrier but a direct aid to entrepreneurs. By easing the conditions for obtaining a construction permit, we give investors a signal that we are prepared to attract investment to Riga. Any step related to the urban environment and development is closely linked to the Riga City Construction Board. Therefore, further efforts are needed to make its services better for citizens and entrepreneurs and to introduce more user-friendly solutions,” points V. Ķirsis
“The efficiency of the Construction Board is the key to the inflow of investments in Riga. “Green Corridor” will be one of the instruments for boosting Riga’s competitiveness among other cities in the Northern European region, says Inese Andersone, the Chairman of the Riga City Development Committee.
In order to introduce such a “green corridor”, the Construction Board significantly facilitates the coordination and approval arrangements for the construction of new Group 3 buildings and Group 2 multi-apartment buildings above 100 apartments from the beginning of November. The changes introduced include a reduction in the overall approval time of the construction documentation.
In order to make the for investments in future, developers who want to build new Group 3 buildings or Group 2 multi-apartment buildings above 100 apartments will be able to count on the decision of the institution and the issuance of a construction permit in significantly shorter time than are required by regulatory enactments.
In order to realise this, the Construction Board will offer developers, before submitting the construction plan to a minimum, the possibility to submit a design electronically (master plan, facades and floor plans and cuts thereof), which will be examined and given a conceptual assessment of the planned construction within two weeks.
In the future, developers will also be able to submit the parts of the building project that have already been prepared before receiving the opinions of other institutions, thereby receiving the possibility to eliminate all possible deficiencies of the building project until the complete completion and submission of the building project. In addition, the Construction Board has also shortened the time-limit for the performance of the design conditions - it will be ten working days.
Work on the optimal implementation of the “Green Corridor” principle will also be continued next year, with a view to extending the preferential arrangements.