My progress so far - Land and Building Regulations

laws on building and restoring houses in Portugal 

My progress so far I have done some secondary research on laws of building on land in Portugal and the difference in areas and councils and the requirements for upkeep and buying land in Portugal. 

My initial findings were that in Portugal everything you do to your land must be allowed and passed by the council in the area of Portugal that you are living in, so things such as a porch or extension are only allowed when they are needed and building can not be done if there is not a need for it.

I found out that if you decide to build/renovate a house/ruin yourself, you will have to obtain the relevant council permit. Small interior works and certain outside works that don't change the exterior shape and look of a structure don't require a paid license, but you will always need a declaration of legality from the authorities.

Once you have confirmed that you can build on the land, make sure that the local Municipal Directing Plan (PDM) allows for construction of housing on that particular plot; you will also then need a topographic survey of the land where you plan to build your house, and have the architectural project approved by the council.

There are also very restricted permits for allowance of certain building materials. The council have a law against using wood to build houses because Portugal is an area of high fire risk, this isn’t to far fetched because wood in Portugal is very dry and is often eaten by wood termites and wouldn’t hold a strong structure. They have a preference of steel and stone a common stone used to build houses in Portugal is gist stone or granite this is because most of these materials are found in vast areas of Portugal.

Source material: https://www.movingtoportugal.pt/en/destination-portugal/rural-property-in-portugal/  (Accessed: 6th Oct 2021)

Reliability: Novo Banco are a private Portuguese bank so it could be argued that it would be in their interest to provide this information. However, it appears to be reliable and references laws and has hyperlinks to government sites.


Law on clearing land (The new Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires (AGIF))

“In view of the special difficulties created by the pandemic environment in the context of fuel management work, it was decided to extend the deadline, until May 15, 2021, so that individuals, forest producers and land and infrastructure management entities perform fuel management work”

fuel would refer to the trees, brush and flammable material. these are a fire risk and in a generally hot and high fire risk area. there is a list which contains safety tips for clearing land and requirements in which the council will enforce. This list contains things like:

How far around your house you have to clear? 

50 metres 

What equipment is best to use and why?

The Portuguese government ask to not use petrol powered lawnmowers or strimmer's because it may spark and start a fire.

What are the rules about neighbouring properties is?

If neighbours are as close as 50 metres you must contact them about clearing their land within 50 metres of your house 

Source : https://www.agif.pt/en (assessed:7th of October 2021)

Reliability: A government agency tasked with the planning, strategic coordination and assessment of the Integrated Rural Fire Management System (SGIFR).

 

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