Construction
The Environment Act splits planning permission into two parts: spatial and technical construction. Spatial construction is about whether you can build in a certain place. Technical construction is about whether your building plan complies with building regulations.
Spatial construction
The rules for spatial construction are included in the environmental plan. The municipality determines these rules. Spatial construction can be subject to a permit requirement or permit-free. Check this via the Environment Desk. You can also submit the application here. You must always comply with the rules in the environmental plan. Also when you do not need an environmental permit.
What information to provide?
For a permit application, we need at least the following information of the existing and future situation:
- situational drawing
- plan drawing
- plan view
- section drawing
- detail drawing
- colour and materials
Be sure to provide all requested information and ensure that there is no privacy-sensitive data in the annexes. For example, your name, address or citizen service number. Is there information missing? We will then suspend the processing of your application.
Aesthetics
Your permit application must comply with the aesthetic regulations. The City of Leeuwarden’s aesthetics requirements are set out in the City of Leeuwarden’s Building Regulations 2022.
We request advice from the Advisory Committee on Spatial Quality Hûs en Hiem (advisory committee) about your construction plan. The advisory committee adheres to the rules in this document when assessing the application. After the assessment, the advisory committee advises the local authority. If a plan does not meet reasonable aesthetic standards the local authority will not issue an environmental permit. Besides the rules on spatial construction, you must also comply with the rules on technical construction.
Technical construction
For technical construction, you must have a permit or submit an application. This depends on the ‘consequence class’ in which your structure falls. The impact class provides information on the risk of a structure. The impact class your structure falls into determines which rules apply. There are four impact classes. Via the Environment Desk you check which impact class your structure falls into.
| Impact class 0 | Permit free | Barely any risk |
|---|---|---|
| Impact class I | Reporting obligation + quality assurance | Limited impact on persons |
| Impact class II | Permit requirement | Realistic chance of impact on persons |
| Impact class III | Permit requirement | Risk of significant impact on persons |
Impact class 0: permit-free
Structures in impact class 0 are permit-free. For example, dormers, skylights or window frames. However, you must comply with building regulations. These rules cover, for example, fire safety, foundation or energy efficiency. The regulations are laid down in the Building Works Decree for the living environment and in the Environment Plan. Please note: you may need a permit for spatial construction.
Impact class I: notification requirement and quality assurance officer
Impact class I are low-risk structures. For example, houses, houseboats, recreational houses and industrial buildings of up to 2 storeys. There are some exceptions to this. For example, if you are planning to build in or on a listed building. Also, only new construction falls into impact class I. For structures in impact class I, you must engage a quality assurance contractor. This is compulsory. Before and during construction, the quality assurance officer checks that the building plan complies with the building regulations. The quality assurance officer supervises through a quality assurance instrument: this specifies the form of supervision. You are responsible for hiring a quality assurance officer. You can find approved quality assurance authorities via the website of the Construction Quality Assurance Admission Organization. The local authority does however remain involved. This is because you need to submit a construction and completion notice. The local authority can therefore monitor and enforce if necessary. In the Action Permits, Supervision and Enforcement (PDF, 572.05 KB) you can read how we view our role and supervise.
Submit report
Submit your construction notification and completion notification to the municipality. A charge will be made for this. You must submit the construction notification at least 4 weeks before you start building. You must submit the completion notice two weeks before you want to use the structure. You can submit the notification via the Environment Desk:
- Go to the ‘Requests’ section.
- Search for ‘Construction activity’ under activities.
- Select the form ‘Construction activity (technical) – Notification (State)’.
What information to provide?
Provide all requested information. Don’t you do this? Then we must reject your notification. You may then not start building or put the structure into use. Make sure that no privacy-sensitive data is included in the attachments. For example, your name, address or citizen service number.
| Construction notification (4 weeks before construction starts) | Completion notification (2 weeks before commissioning) |
|---|---|
| Who is your quality assurance? | Quality assurance statement |
| Which instrument is used? | Competent authority file |
| Risk assessment | |
| Safeguarding plan |
Special local conditions
You must take special local circumstances into account in the construction notification and completion notification.
Impact classes II and III: permit technical construction
Impact classes II and III are high-risk structures. For example, apartment complexes, schools or hotels. You need an environmental permit for technical construction for these construction works. A spatial building permit is also required. The local authority checks complex building plans against building regulations itself. The local authority also supervises during construction. You do not need to engage a quality assurance officer.
Submit an application (permit application)
You must submit a permit application via the Environment Desk:
- Go to the ‘Requests’ section.
- Search for ‘Construction activity’ under activities.
- Select the form ‘Construction activity (technical) – Application for permit (State)’.
Provide all requested information. We need this information as part of the permit application. Make sure that no privacy-sensitive data is included in the attachments. For example, your name, address or citizen service number.
Questions or more information?
For questions, more information and to apply for an environmental permit, go to the Procedure for applying or reporting an environmental permit page.
Charges
There are costs associated with submitting a permit application. The amounts are given in the Rates table General Levy Regulations.
The rates for the assessment by the Welstandscommissie can be found on the Hûs en hiem website.
There are no costs associated with submitting a report.
Laws and regulations
The following law can be found on the website Overheid.nl (national):
- Building Works Decree living environment.
The following regulations can be found on the website Overheid.nl (local):
- Environmental plan City of Leeuwarden.
Spatial construction
The rules for spatial construction are included in the environmental plan. The municipality determines these rules. Spatial construction can be subject to a permit requirement or permit-free. Check this via the Environment Desk. You can also submit the application here. You must always comply with the rules in the environmental plan. Also when you do not need an environmental permit.
What information to provide?
For a permit application, we need at least the following information of the existing and future situation:
- situational drawing
- plan drawing
- plan view
- section drawing
- detail drawing
- colour and materials
Be sure to provide all requested information and ensure that there is no privacy-sensitive data in the annexes. For example, your name, address or citizen service number. Is there information missing? We will then suspend the processing of your application.
Aesthetics
Your permit application must comply with the aesthetic regulations. The City of Leeuwarden’s aesthetics requirements are set out in the City of Leeuwarden’s Building Regulations 2022.
We request advice from the Advisory Committee on Spatial Quality Hûs en Hiem (advisory committee) about your construction plan. The advisory committee adheres to the rules in this document when assessing the application. After the assessment, the advisory committee advises the local authority. If a plan does not meet reasonable aesthetic standards the local authority will not issue an environmental permit. Besides the rules on spatial construction, you must also comply with the rules on technical construction.
Technical construction
For technical construction, you must have a permit or submit an application. This depends on the ‘consequence class’ in which your structure falls. The impact class provides information on the risk of a structure. The impact class your structure falls into determines which rules apply. There are four impact classes. Via the Environment Desk you check which impact class your structure falls into.
| Impact class 0 | Permit free | Barely any risk |
|---|---|---|
| Impact class I | Reporting obligation + quality assurance | Limited impact on persons |
| Impact class II | Permit requirement | Realistic chance of impact on persons |
| Impact class III | Permit requirement | Risk of significant impact on persons |
Impact class 0: permit-free
Structures in impact class 0 are permit-free. For example, dormers, skylights or window frames. However, you must comply with building regulations. These rules cover, for example, fire safety, foundation or energy efficiency. The regulations are laid down in the Building Works Decree for the living environment and in the Environment Plan. Please note: you may need a permit for spatial construction.
Impact class I: notification requirement and quality assurance officer
Impact class I are low-risk structures. For example, houses, houseboats, recreational houses and industrial buildings of up to 2 storeys. There are some exceptions to this. For example, if you are planning to build in or on a listed building. Also, only new construction falls into impact class I. For structures in impact class I, you must engage a quality assurance contractor. This is compulsory. Before and during construction, the quality assurance officer checks that the building plan complies with the building regulations. The quality assurance officer supervises through a quality assurance instrument: this specifies the form of supervision. You are responsible for hiring a quality assurance officer. You can find approved quality assurance authorities via the website of the Construction Quality Assurance Admission Organization. The local authority does however remain involved. This is because you need to submit a construction and completion notice. The local authority can therefore monitor and enforce if necessary. In the Action Permits, Supervision and Enforcement (PDF, 572.05 KB) you can read how we view our role and supervise.
Submit report
Submit your construction notification and completion notification to the municipality. A charge will be made for this. You must submit the construction notification at least 4 weeks before you start building. You must submit the completion notice two weeks before you want to use the structure. You can submit the notification via the Environment Desk:
- Go to the ‘Requests’ section.
- Search for ‘Construction activity’ under activities.
- Select the form ‘Construction activity (technical) – Notification (State)’.
What information to provide?
Provide all requested information. Don’t you do this? Then we must reject your notification. You may then not start building or put the structure into use. Make sure that no privacy-sensitive data is included in the attachments. For example, your name, address or citizen service number.
| Construction notification (4 weeks before construction starts) | Completion notification (2 weeks before commissioning) |
|---|---|
| Who is your quality assurance? | Quality assurance statement |
| Which instrument is used? | Competent authority file |
| Risk assessment | |
| Safeguarding plan |
Special local conditions
You must take special local circumstances into account in the construction notification and completion notification.
Impact classes II and III: permit technical construction
Impact classes II and III are high-risk structures. For example, apartment complexes, schools or hotels. You need an environmental permit for technical construction for these construction works. A spatial building permit is also required. The local authority checks complex building plans against building regulations itself. The local authority also supervises during construction. You do not need to engage a quality assurance officer.
Submit an application (permit application)
You must submit a permit application via the Environment Desk:
- Go to the ‘Requests’ section.
- Search for ‘Construction activity’ under activities.
- Select the form ‘Construction activity (technical) – Application for permit (State)’.
Provide all requested information. We need this information as part of the permit application. Make sure that no privacy-sensitive data is included in the attachments. For example, your name, address or citizen service number.
Questions or more information?
For questions, more information and to apply for an environmental permit, go to the Procedure for applying or reporting an environmental permit page.
Charges
There are costs associated with submitting a permit application. The amounts are given in the Rates table General Levy Regulations.
The rates for the assessment by the Welstandscommissie can be found on the Hûs en hiem website.
There are no costs associated with submitting a report.
Laws and regulations
The following law can be found on the website Overheid.nl (national):
- Building Works Decree living environment.
The following regulations can be found on the website Overheid.nl (local):
- Environmental plan City of Leeuwarden.