The Parliament of Georgia considered and adopted, at III reading, the draft Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activities Code with 81 votes in favor.

The draft law was presented at the plenary sitting by one of its initiators, Levan Machavariani, First Deputy Chair of the “Georgian Dream” Faction.

The amendments establish regulations concerning certain construction works carried out on cultural heritage sites and within cultural heritage protection zones located within the administrative boundaries of Tbilisi.

Under the current legislation, if construction activities are carried out within a cultural heritage protection zone in Tbilisi, or if works are performed on an immovable cultural heritage monument, and: the construction permit has expired before the construction or rehabilitation works have been completed; or construction has been carried out without the required permit, the administrative authority responsible for public construction supervision grants the violator a 90-day period to obtain the necessary consent or permit, or to remedy the violation.

The amendments clarify that the special procedure established by the Code will apply to research and rehabilitation works carried out on immovable cultural heritage monuments; class I construction works undertaken within cultural heritage protection zones; and unauthorized construction, only where the area of a new building or the additional area added to an existing building does not exceed 10 m2.

The draft law also establishes an exception under which this limitation will not apply to construction projects undertaken as part of the replacement of аварიული (unsafe or structurally hazardous) buildings and structures; and/or urban development measures, provided that such works are carried out by the Tbilisi City Hall or a legal entity established by the municipality.