Bill: re-examine all construction plans adjacent to the sea This private bill is set to be discussed by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation today. The proposal suggests a comprehensive reform in the area of plans adjacent to the coast – to re-examine all construction plans that were approved before the enactment of the “Coast” law in 2014
A proposal for a new private law aims to re-examine old plans related to areas adjacent to the coast that were approved or submitted even before the establishment of the Coastal Environmental Protection Committee (WLF), proposed by Knesset member Dov Khenin. The bill is expected to be submitted to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation of the Knesset on Sunday, with the assistance of the legal department of the Israeli Union for Environmental Defense.
The bill proposes a major reform in the approval process for construction plans adjacent to beaches. It is worth noting that the OLP, which began operating in 2004, reviews plans submitted for approval by various committees and determines the parameters for safeguarding lands adjacent to the coastline and prohibits construction within 100 meters. However, in 2004, a number of plans concerning beaches had been promoted, which the committee could not manage and the coastal law did not apply to them.
A temporary freeze on building permits for five years Now, the bill proposes to establish a temporary order of five years in which each local committee for the planning area or part of what relates to the coastal environment will find all programs in the areas approved before the coastal law came into effect. Regional committees and local committees will be required in the next six months to re-examine ongoing planning files with the national council in order to obtain state approval based on the law.
According to the bill, “COAST” the re-examination of construction programs must comply with the rules. If the program does not conform to the coastal law rules, it will be the district committee’s turn to submit a new plan according to the text of the bill” including changes to the existing program, such as determining a reduction in building rights, making changes in the construction area, removing the shoreline or sensitive surfaces, providing instructions to safeguard the land in the coastal environment which are of public importance, removing or reducing view obstructions, ensuring passage and access to the coastal environment, and providing necessary adjustments to align the program with the law and the intended plan. “That is to say, significant changes in the program. These actions and the dates of the procedure and resolutions will be published for the public review of the planning site. The explanatory notes of the bill state: “The Coastal Environmental Protection Law, approved in 2004, is anchored by the principles of the legislature for the protection of the coastal environment, natural resources, and heritage, with the obligation to prevent and reduce potential attacks. However, the law stated that the principles apply only to new programs approved after the law’s inception and will not apply to plans approved before 2004.
There is no doubt that one of the areas where it is crucial to re-examine old plans is the narrow coastal strip of the State of Israel. In coastal areas where the public spends time, and the importance of protecting them increases as the density of the State of Israel rises, it is particularly important to ensure that the situation aligns with the public interest: no walls or obstacles between cities and the sea; as much as possible for the benefit of the public” (a matter of national security)
According to MK Dov Khenin, the initiator of the law, “the time has come to put an end to construction waste on the beaches and send a clear message – the beach is not real estate. The current time has come to prioritize the public interest in preserving beaches as a place for free and accessible recreation, at the expense of the interests of those who can afford it. I call on the ministers to support the amendment to the law.”
