The Government Council has greenlit the LIDER Bill, which simplifies urban planning and reduces processing times from 12 to 4 years. The regulation, which now goes to the Assembly, includes a new model for Municipal Strategic Plans.
The Government Council of the Community of Madrid approved this Wednesday the Bill for the Promotion and Balanced Development in the Region (LIDER), a regulation aimed at speeding up housing construction and reducing urban bureaucracy. The text, announced by President Isabel Díaz Ayuso in the last State of the Region Debate, will now be sent to the Madrid Assembly for parliamentary processing.
The new law establishes a maximum period of four years for urban processing, compared to the current twelve. To achieve this, the classification of land is simplified, changing from five categories to just three: urbanised, protected rural, and unprotected rural. This measure aims to provide greater legal certainty to owners, municipalities, and investors.
One of the pillars of LIDER is the Municipal Strategic Plans (PEM), which will allow municipalities to approve their urban planning within a period of four to six years, reducing the current time by more than half. Development planning will be shortened from seven to four years, and in specific cases, it can be completed in just one year through urban ordinances.
According to sources from the regional government, 42 municipalities, including Madrid city, have already begun to prepare their PEM under the Law 7/2024 for balanced development in environmental and land management matters.
The regulation strengthens municipal autonomy: municipalities with more than 15,000 inhabitants will be able to approve all their urban planning instruments, while the Community of Madrid will maintain legal oversight. All councils will be able to approve their urban ordinances, detailed studies, and protected asset catalogues.
In the rural area, LIDER simplifies the procedures for agricultural and livestock activities, with the municipalities themselves authorising these projects. Additionally, a technical support service will be provided for smaller municipalities, including preliminary studies, environmental processing, and necessary reports.
The law introduces a pioneering model in Spain for redeveloping neighbourhoods without costs falling on residents, and facilitates the protection of historical heritage by avoiding the need to modify all planning to protect a building.
LIDER adds to other initiatives from the regional government to expedite housing construction. The Law 3/2024 on urban measures for the promotion of protected housing has allowed the granting of licences for 3,679 properties in its first year, with a forecast of reaching 10,000. Likewise, the regional Urban Accelerator has promoted projects for 17,600 flats, of which nearly 6,000 are protected.
The regulation also updates the legislation on public shows and recreational activities, which has been in effect for nearly 30 years. Municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants will be responsible for authorising exceptional performances within their jurisdiction. Additionally, the use of open flames, open fire, flares, and other pyrotechnic devices in hospitality and leisure establishments without designated spaces is prohibited.
The bill now begins its processing in the Madrid Assembly, where it is expected to be debated and likely approved in the coming months. The Ministry of Housing, Transport and Infrastructure will be responsible for its regulatory development.
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