immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Heimatschutz

  • National Council sets new priorities for the environment, spatial planning and energy

    National Council sets new priorities for the environment, spatial planning and energy

    The National Council’s Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy (UREK-N) has decided to restrict the right of appeal of environmental protection organisations in smaller residential construction projects. The amendment to the Federal Act on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage aims to adapt the legal framework for small and medium-sized residential construction projects in order to equalise unequal financial resources between parties.

    In addition, the Commission has begun discussing the Federal Act on Supervision and Transparency in Wholesale Energy Markets in order to ensure appropriate supervision and transparency. As part of the discussion on an electricity market agreement with the EU, the Commission discussed the economic importance of a secure electricity supply and the need to harmonise Swiss regulations with those of the EU.

    In the area of the circular economy, the Commission resolved most of the differences with the Council of States, particularly with regard to the relaxation of the municipal waste monopoly. However, there is still disagreement on the question of whether unsold biogenic products should be unpackaged.

    Further discussions by the committee included the partial revision of the Environmental Protection Act, which focuses on noise protection and the remediation of contaminated sites. The motion “Combating the housing shortage with densification and non-profit housing construction” was rejected by the committee, as it is of the opinion that the existing legal basis is already sufficient. A postulate on optimising the use of energy wood was also submitted.

    The committee meetings on 22 and 23 January 2024 were chaired by National Councillor Christian Imark and were partly held in the presence of Federal Councillor Albert Rösti in Bern.

  • Historic preservation in Zug under criticism

    Historic preservation in Zug under criticism

    The revised Zug Monument Protection Act came into force in 2019 and limits protection to “extremely important” buildings. As a result, many historic buildings in the canton of Zug that are valuable but not “extremely important” are at risk. Critics argue that this strict criterion concerns world-famous monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral or Cologne Cathedral, but not local monuments such as the Zurlaubenhof.

    Appeal and decision of the Federal Court
    The Zug Heritage Society had challenged the law on the grounds of violations of the Granada Convention, an international treaty for the protection of architectural monuments. The Federal Court partially ruled in their favour, but the decision was not upheld in a more recent case, which means that many buildings in the canton of Zug remain at risk.

    Future prospects
    According to recent court decisions, many historic buildings in Zug are not protected. Owners and residents who want to campaign for the protection of these buildings now face the challenge of challenging the legality of the laws and bearing the associated legal costs. They can rely on international agreements and previous court decisions, but the hurdles are high. Homeland Security regrets that the earlier decision of the Federal Court was not upheld.

  • Yes to preserving the climate, building culture and biodiversity

    Yes to preserving the climate, building culture and biodiversity

    Swiss Heritage Protection says “YES” to the Climate Protection Act. This is because the bill contains concrete measures that create incentives for the replacement of heating systems and the energy-efficient upgrading of buildings. The renovation of existing buildings to improve energy efficiency is promoted.

    Careful renovations as well as high-quality and resource-saving new buildings contribute to a high building culture. This is the basis for diverse public spaces, intact landscapes and a climate-neutral, liveable living space that promotes social exchange and community spirit and contributes to general well-being.

    Prioritise resource conservation
    New buildings produce more greenhouse gases during construction or demolition than during their entire useful life. This is due to the large amount of grey energy and emissions involved in extracting, transporting, demolishing and disposing of a building’s construction materials.

    Thus, it is obvious that a moderate use of material resources and a better preservation of our built heritage is the first step towards climate-friendly construction and achieving the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

  • Illegal demolition of the 700-year-old wooden house in Illgau SZ

    Illegal demolition of the 700-year-old wooden house in Illgau SZ

    Violence breaks all rules. The administrative court of the canton of Schwyz recently ruled that the demolition of properties requires a permit. The municipality of Illgau approved the demolition, but appeals were still possible, which would have been raised by Homeland Security. The Planning and Building Act of the Canton of Schwyz stipulates that anyone who erects, changes or converts buildings and facilities without a building permit or in deviation from a building permit is punished with a fine of up to CHF 50,000 in accordance with the provisions of the Justice Act and the Swiss Code of Criminal Procedure . In the case of greed, the penal authorities are not bound by the maximum amount of the fine. “We therefore thought long and hard about whether to file a criminal complaint or not,” says Isabelle Schwander, President of Schwyz Homeland Security. However, the Schwyz and Swiss Heimatschutz came to the conclusion that conducting criminal proceedings is the task of the law enforcement authorities and not of Heimatschutz. This is also because the suspicion at hand is to be investigated ex officio.

    In several discussions, the Schwyzer and the Swiss Heimatschutz tried to make the builder understand the immeasurable value of this building. Possible structural solutions were also shown with specialists and it was offered to provide support with regard to financing. Unfortunately all without success. For the future, Heimatschutz will try, together with experts and owners of Schwyz wooden houses, to show that renovations are always possible and that this does not have to fail because of finances. Naturally, Homeland Security is also of the opinion that being placed under protection should not lead to financial damage. Finally, it must also become better known that listed and high-quality refurbished properties experience a massive increase in value and are also easy to rent. The Schwyzer and the Swiss Heimatschutz are convinced that it is possible for all those affected to find a good solution.