The six steps
They follow on, and each may stop the process. The steps run from zoning to easements.
Identify the plot precisely, by its cadastral reference and not by an address or a marketing description.
Obtain the classification in the general development plan, in a zone intended for building or not.
Check the existence and type of any particular development plan, covered in the article on the two types of PAP.
Note the applicable ratios and their reference area, following the method set out in the article on the parameters limiting volume.
Obtain the building regulation and identify the requirements affecting the site layout.
Identify easements and protections affecting the plot, covered in the article on easements and protections.
The documents to obtain
Six items, better requested together than piecemeal. They are obtained from the municipality.
| Document | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Cadastral extract | identify the plot unambiguously |
| General development plan, written and graphic parts | establish classification and ratios |
| Applicable particular development plan | know the detailed provisions |
| Building regulation | anticipate execution constraints |
| Schedule of known easements | identify overlays |
| Municipal certificate or attestation | hold a written position |
Request complete documents rather than extracts, the latter frequently omitting general provisions.
The questions to put in writing
Five questions, whose answers must be kept. They are put in writing to the planning department.
Is the plot in a zone intended for building, and under what classification.
Is it covered by a particular development plan, of what type, and at what date.
Which ratios apply, and to which reference area do they relate.
What easements or protections are known on the plot.
Is a revision procedure under way on the applicable documents.
The last question is the most often omitted. A revision under way may change the classification or the ratios before an application is even lodged.
The blocking points to identify
Six situations that change the nature of the project. They require additional procedures.
Zone intended for building but not covered by a new-district plan, therefore not developable in the short term.
Ratios low against the brief envisaged, requiring the brief to be revised rather than the reading.
Setbacks incompatible with the geometry of the plot, frequent on narrow or irregular plots.
Parking requirements that cannot be met given the available footprint.
Easement or protection covering all or part of the plot, which may prohibit or condition siting.
State or sectoral permit required, covered in the article on other permits required.
What this check does not guarantee
Two limits to state plainly.
It is not a permit. A favourable reading of the documents does not prejudge the decision, which concerns a specific project.
It does not cover the assessment of integration, particularly in an existing district, where a project meeting the figures may be judged unsuited to the character of the area.
It reduces uncertainty; it does not remove it. The only way to remove it is to lodge an application, or to obtain a written preliminary opinion from the municipality where one is issued.
When to do it
Three points, and the first matters most. They order the checks before committing.
Before signing a preliminary contract, or with an express condition precedent where time does not allow.
Before the sketch, so that design starts from the real constraints.
Before lodging, to check that no revision has occurred since the first consultation.
What this means for a professional
Four rules.
Check before the land commitment, and say so to the client even when market pressure urges a quick signature.
Request all documents at once, which shortens the timescale and avoids back and forth.
Record the municipality's answers in writing and date them.
Distinguish what is verified from what is assumed in any note issued, the assessment of integration falling into the second category.
This article reflects a method of professional orientation. It does not replace consultation of the municipality or legal advice.