Locating Permit and Deviation

The applicant may, if desired, apply for a separate locating permit, which determines the existence of the conditions for locating according to sections 44 – 46 of the construction law before the building permit. The Head of Land Use makes the decisions regarding locating permits. Applying for a separate locating permit may be beneficial if the fulfillment of the conditions for locating is unclear and the suitability of the building site is to be ensured before the final plans are drawn up. The existence of the conditions for locating can also be determined in connection with the building permit. Building permits are decided by building inspectors.

The locating permit is applied for in ePermit. The locating permit application must include at least:

• a site plan
• information on the building project’s mass and facade (visualization and/or facade draft)
• a report on the arrangement of vehicle access to the building site
• a report on the arrangement of water supply and sewerage, and
• if connecting to municipal engineering, information on the building’s connection point
• depending on the project, other reports to verify the conditions

The applicant may consult the neighbors themselves or request the municipality to carry out the consultation. The consultation form can be downloaded from the permit service, and the consultation can also be done electronically. If necessary, the municipality will supplement the consultation. A fee is charged for consultations performed by the municipality according to the price rate.

A separate locating permit decision is valid for 2 years. During this time, a building permit must be applied for the project. A locating permit does not by itself authorize construction, but rather the application for a building permit.

For a special reason, the municipality may grant a deviation from the regulations, orders, prohibitions, and other restrictions pertaining to construction or other actions as stipulated in the land use act or based on it. An exceptional planning permission cannot be granted regarding eligibility requirements, plot division, the need and conditions for a landscape work permit, nor the conditions for locating related to the drafting of a detailed plan in a planning requirement area. An exceptional planning permission may be granted for other locating conditions in a planning requirement area. Exceptional planning permissions are decided by the Head of Land Use.

The exceptional planning permission is applied for in ePermit. The application must include at least:

• a site plan
• a report on the management of the building site
• a report/evaluation of the project’s key impacts and justifications for the deviation

The applicant may consult the neighbors themselves or request the municipality to carry out the consultation. The consultation form can be downloaded from the permit service, and the consultation can also be done electronically. If necessary, the municipality will supplement the consultation. A fee is charged for consultations performed by the municipality according to the price rate.

The exceptional planning permission must be utilized within two years of its legal effect. Depending on the project, the permission may directly authorize construction or the application for a building permit.

The applicant must have a functional email address and online banking credentials or a mobile certificate for logging into the service. Consultation requests can be submitted through the permit service or by contacting planning or building control. Consultation is free of charge.

Instructions for applying for a locating permit and exceptional planning permission

Fees are charged for permit decisions according to the planning price rate. In addition, a fee is charged for the consultation of neighbors conducted by the municipality and, if necessary, for the newspaper announcement.

The site plan must be drawn up to a reasonable scale depending on the site, such as 1:200, 1:500, or 1:1000. If the building site is large, a reduction of the entire building site can be placed in the corner of the site plan. The site plan must be larger than the building site so that essential functions nearby are visible (e.g., neighboring buildings). The site plan should be made over a base map obtained from the municipality. The accuracy of the site plan depends on the project being carried out, but it should generally include:

1. a title label and a north arrow
2. boundaries of the building site with dimensions
3. property identifiers for the building site and the nearest neighboring properties
4. buildings to be constructed, existing, and to be demolished, structures, canopies, and fences, location of the well and sewage system or the connection point to the water supply network.
5. floor area calculation (building rights, used floor area, demolished floor area, to be constructed floor area, remaining floor area, excess of building rights)
6. distance of the building from the boundaries, and on the shoreline distance from the shoreline. If necessary, the distance of the building from the neighboring building
7. main dimensions of the building measured from the outer surfaces of the walls or the support columns of the canopies, and number of floors
8. other necessary dimensions, for example, to existing buildings and the road
9. road access, parking spaces, and traffic connections
10. if necessary, play areas and recreational areas, preserved plantings and trees, and areas to be planted
11. height relations of the building site and surrounding area with contour lines and possibly the height level of the lowest drained level of the building. Important on shores and building sites with large height differences
12. excavations and fills of the terrain: If the surface levels are significantly altered, the original and future levels must be presented in the site and facade drawings (if not marked on the drawing, it is assumed that excavations and fills will not occur).
13. zoning markings and regulations if any, and information on which regulation the deviation is made
14. on shoreline areas, it must be indicated how the vegetation of the shoreline will be preserved and possibly complemented