New Housing Construction Allowed Once in Greenbelt Areas If Deemed Deteriorated

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gapdong] New construction of residential buildings in greenbelt zones will now be allowed on a one-time basis if the structures are deemed deteriorated or dilapidated.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 12th that two executive orders under the "Special Measures Act on Designation and Management of Greenbelt Zones" reflecting recommendations the province submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will take effect on the 13th.

Previously, to construct new residences in greenbelt zones, only very limited conditions were permitted: △land with land-use category of residential lot (垈·daejji) since designation △land with existing housing at the time of designation △land owned by property owners whose buildings were demolished for public works △relocation to settlement zones. As a result, for old houses more than 20 to 30 years after construction, residents had no choice but to continuously repair, extend, or undertake reconstruction using the existing floor area.

Accordingly, the province submitted recommendations for three revisions to the Greenbelt Zone Act ordinances starting in 2022. Through this ordinance revision, if a local government head recognizes a building as deteriorated or dilapidated, new construction is now permitted on a one-time basis. With new construction, it is possible to increase the number of stories or expand the floor area within permitted ranges.

In addition, small-scale portable temporary toilets of 5㎡ or less can now be installed even within greenbelt zones.

The province had submitted recommendations to the government four times regarding the permission to install small-scale portable temporary toilets of 5㎡ or less to resolve bathroom access difficulties for farmers working in agricultural production areas within greenbelt zones.

According to this ordinance revision, farmers can now install portable temporary toilets within greenbelt zones as long as the floor area is 5㎡ or less and concrete pouring and septic tank installation are not conducted.

Additional revision contents include: △installation of access roads using adjacent greenbelt zone land when constructing new residences and neighborhood commercial facilities in collectively canceled greenbelt settlements △expansion of road range necessary for snow removal facility installation △possibility of installing parking lots on land separated from restaurants.

Kim Su-hyung, Director of the Regional Policy Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Going forward, we will do our utmost to identify unreasonable systems and recommend improvements to the government so that residents' inconveniences in residential and business environments are minimized."