Planning requirement decision or deviation decision

Application for decision regarding necessity of planning is handed in to the Vasa city planning department. The neighbors of the building site should be notified about the application. The neighbor consultation can be carried out by the city of Vaasa, if needed, at a cost of 60€/neighbor, levied on the applicant.

If the entrepreneur has established itself in another country in the European Economic Area and temporarily offers services in Finland, the same permits are required as from entrepreneurs established in Finland.

Prerequisites for granting of a decision regarding necessity of planning are, in accordance with the land use – and building’s act 137 §, that construction may not cause inconvenience in regards to the planning procedures or other regulating of land use and that it does not lead to adverse societal development. Construction must be suitable with regards to the landscape and must not hinder preservation of special natural- or cultural values or recreational needs. Furthermore, building in an area in need of planning must not lead to construction having substantial consequences and must not cause significant, harmful environmental consequences or other significant or harmful consequences.

The Vaasa city council’s board of planning has approved guidelines regarding principles of dimensioning, of which the goal is to promote detail planning in favor of spread out building as well as equal treatment of land owners. These principles also outline the amount of construction that can be permitted in various areas.

In certain situations, applying for a building permit may first require a planning requirement decision or a deviation decision.

The builder must have a valid planning requirement decision if they are applying for a building permit in an area requiring planning. The application for a planning requirement decision must be submitted to an authority designated by the municipality before applying for the building permit.

The municipality will determine whether the site in question is located in an area requiring planning. An area requiring planning is an area that is not covered by the municipality’s local detailed plan but where there may be a need to take measures such as constructing roads, water pipes or sewers.

The planning requirement decision will be in effect for the period stated in the decision (a maximum of two years). An application for the building permit must be submitted during this period.

If the builder wants to deviate from the local detailed plan or other provisions, regulations, prohibitions or restrictions that are in accordance with the Land Use and Building Act or that have been issued under it (such as the building code), they must obtain a deviation decision before being granted the building permit. The municipality may grant the deviation under certain conditions.

There must always be a particular reason for deviations. The deviation may not interfere with other uses of the area, for example, or cause damage to nature.

The deviation decision will be in effect for the period stated in the decision, which is two years at most.