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Coastal investors in Bulgaria unhappy with state regulations

Municipalities and investors in the Black Sea coastal region are dissatisfied with coastal construction conditions that the Regional Development Ministry determined.

The ministry called for lower buildings that are located far away from each other, Novinar newspaper reported.

Investors pressured municipalities and made promises in order to promote projects that came in contradiction with ministry requirements, Deputy Regional Development Minister Savin Kovachev said.

As a result a number of municipalities refused to work together with the ministry on their zoning plans, Kovachev said. The resort of Nessebar is one such example.

Funds allocated to the update of zoning plans in the coastal area in 2007 reached 150 000 leva. Updates are needed since plans were drafted in 1997.

Current regulations are also questionable, Kovachev said. According to the Black Sea coastal development regulations to be accepted within two months it is unclear who owns beaches and how far protected areas span.

Kovachev said that by the end of the year the ministry will launch a procedure for the drafting of a national complex development scheme. The document will list what kinds of buildings can be constructed in all Bulgarian regions.

March 2 2007, Source: www.sofiaecho.com