The six sequences
They follow on, and the first conditions all the rest. The phases run from the preliminary check to the works.
| Sequence | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Preliminary check | documents, easements, protections |
| Opening to urbanisation | particular plan procedure, if required |
| Design and application | studies and assembling the file |
| Processing | up to the mayor's decision |
| Display and appeal | window of legal exposure |
| Start on site | within the lapse period |
The second sequence does not always exist, but where it does it dominates the programme, as the article on the two types of PAP explains.
The durations that add up
Four durations to add, and not to confuse. They make up the real delay before starting.
The preliminary check, a few days to a few weeks depending on the municipality's responsiveness.
Design and assembly of the file, which depend on the project and the applicant.
Processing, which professional sources commonly place between three and six months for a complete file, without any uniform period existing.
The third-party appeal period, three months from display.
Adding these four durations gives the order of magnitude up to a secured start, excluding any particular plan procedure.
The durations that overlap
Two overlaps, both poorly anticipated.
The lapse period runs from obtaining the permit, not from the end of the appeal period. The two therefore overlap, and the three months of appeal consume part of the two years available.
Other authorisations follow their own timetables, in parallel rather than in sequence, which saves time provided they were lodged together.
The first overlap reduces the available margin; the second allows some to be recovered.
The two programming errors
They recur constantly.
Confusing the decision with legal security. A programme ending at issue ignores the three months of appeal and schedules the start within the window of maximum exposure.
Sequencing the authorisations. Waiting for the building permit before lodging the other applications mechanically adds several months, when the procedures can run in parallel.
The first error costs risk, the second costs time.
The framework to use
Six markers to place in the programme from the outset. They mark the administrative milestones of the project.
The end date of the preliminary check, before any land commitment.
The lodging date, with the other applications lodged in the same period.
A range for the decision, never a date.
The display date, to be done immediately after issue.
The expiry date of the appeal period, three months after display.
The lapse date, two years after obtaining the permit, to be entered on issue.
These last two dates are the most often omitted, although they bound the useful life of the project.
What can be done during the waiting periods
Three uses of the appeal period, which avoid wasting it. It serves to prepare the works without committing them.
Tendering and analysing the offers.
Obtaining the other authorisations, if not already held.
Finalising financing and production information.
What must be deferred is irreversible expenditure, as the article on what follows the decision explains.
What this means for a professional
Four rules.
Place the six markers in the programme from the first version, not as things unfold.
State ranges for processing, never dates.
Lodge applications in parallel wherever possible.
Show the lapse date on every tracking document, with an alert several months in advance.
This article reflects a method of professional orientation. It does not replace consultation of the municipality or legal advice.