Do you dream of an idyllic home surrounded by greenery, a charming weekend cottage in the woods, or a stable next to a nature reserve? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wonderful, but be extremely vigilant when making a purchase. The Flemish inspection authorities are currently working on a clean-up campaign<\/a><\/strong> in so-called \u2018spatially vulnerable areas\u2019. After all, offences committed in spatially vulnerable areas are treated as a priority. Anyone buying property here that is in breach of planning regulations is stepping into a legal minefield. The key term you need to know? Conservation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the case of a standard building offence \u2013 for example, an unauthorised extension in a residential area \u2013 it is build<\/strong> the offence itself. Such a building offence is generally subject to a limitation period (nowadays often extended to 10 years for criminal proceedings).<\/p>\n\n\n\n At spatially sensitive area\u00a0<\/strong>(such as a nature reserve or woodland) the situation is fundamentally different. Here, not only is building illegal, but also maintain<\/strong> of that unauthorised structure. As long as the unauthorised building, the paving or the outbuilding remains in place, the planning offence is being committed every single day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because the breach of conservation is committed anew every day, never expire<\/strong>. This means that the authorities can carry out inspections at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It makes no difference to the inspectors whether the offence was committed by you or by a previous owner thirty years ago. In practice, we are currently seeing a sharp rise in the number of cases concerning the enforcement of conservation measures in spatially sensitive areas, sometimes even involving situations that have already 35 years of uninterrupted presence<\/strong> There is simply no \u2018statute of limitations\u2019 in nature reserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the inspectorate comes round, it usually doesn\u2019t end with just an administrative fine. As these are ecologically valuable areas, the government is fully committed to progress in recovery<\/strong>. In practice, this means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n When buying a property in the countryside, never be fobbed off with the statement: \u201cIt\u2019s been there for thirty years; nobody pays it any mind anymore.<\/strong>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a nature reserve, a planning offence is a ticking time bomb that will cost you dearly sooner or later. Don\u2019t be caught off guard \u2013 forewarned is forearmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is the offence of conservation?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The harsh reality: Conservation never expires<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What are the consequences of enforcement?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Our tip: Avoid making a bad purchase<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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