The Community of Madrid has approved the draft law for the Impulse and Balanced Development of the Region, known as LIDER. This initiative, which must now be debated in the Assembly of Madrid, promises to significantly shorten the bureaucratic deadlines that currently slow down new residential developments in the region.
The main objective is to reduce urban planning procedures, which can currently take up to 12 years, to just 4 years if the law is approved. This measure aims to address the slowness and complexity of the current system, which has delayed the supply of new housing in the Madrid market.
The project, approved on July 22 by the Governing Council, was announced by the regional president. The Community of Madrid reports that the text was drafted after a consultation process with experts and stakeholders.
One of the central innovations is the creation of Municipal Strategic Plans (PEM), a new model that will give municipalities greater autonomy to design their urban development. These plans could be approved within a period of between four and six years, compared to current times which often exceed double that.
The project development phase on the ground will be reduced from seven to four years, and in certain cases, it may be resolved in a single year through urban ordinances. Already, 42 municipalities, including that of Madrid capital, are working on their own PEMs under Law 7/2024.
The law also simplifies land classification, moving from five to three categories: urbanized, protected rural, and unprotected rural. The goal is to provide greater clarity and legal certainty regarding what can be built on each plot.
Furthermore, municipal autonomy is strengthened. Municipalities with more than 15,000 inhabitants will be able to directly approve their urban planning instruments, while the regional government will focus on legality control. All city councils, regardless of size, will be able to approve their own urban ordinances, detailed studies, and catalogs of protected assets and spaces.
The project introduces a pioneering system to remodel entire neighborhoods and improve public and private spaces without cost to residents. It also facilitates the protection of historical heritage by avoiding the need to modify the entire urban plan of an area solely to protect a specific building.
For smaller towns and municipalities, a specific regime and a technical support service will be provided to help them develop their planning.
The law also simplifies procedures for agricultural and livestock activities on rural land, transferring the authorization capacity to the municipalities themselves.
LIDER joins measures already in effect, such as Law 3/2024 on protected housing, which has allowed licenses for 3,679 homes, and the Regional Urban Planning Accelerator, which has promoted projects for 17,600 apartments.
The regulation of public shows and recreational activities, in force for almost 30 years, is being updated to adapt to the current reality of leisure, culture, and gastronomy in Madrid, as well as major events held in the region.
If approved as drafted, localities with over 20,000 inhabitants will be responsible for authorizing exceptional events. The use of open flames, open fire, flares, and other pyrotechnic elements in bars, restaurants, and leisure venues without designated spaces will be expressly prohibited.
It is important to note that none of these measures are yet in effect; the Governing Council has only taken the first step, and the text now needs to pass debate and a vote in the Assembly of Madrid to become law.
