One-Time New Construction Allowed for Aged Houses and Commercial Buildings within Greenbelt Areas

It is expected that residents' inconveniences will be reduced as it becomes possible to construct new buildings in old condition within the Greenbelt (GB) and to install portable simple toilets for farmers.

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The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 6th that the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones has been passed at the Cabinet meeting.

The amendment allows for the reconstruction of houses and neighborhood living facilities that were legally installed after the GB designation once if they are old or in poor condition. Currently, only extensions or expansions are permitted.

Additionally, in areas where the GB has been lifted due to collective residential settlements, it permits the installation of access roads using adjacent GB land when reconstructing houses or neighborhood living facilities built before the designation.

For residents' safety and convenience, the scope of roads where snow removal facilities can be installed within the GB during heavy snowfall has been expanded. Currently, such facilities can only be installed on national highways and provincial roads, but going forward, installation will also be allowed on expressways, special city roads, and metropolitan city roads.

Furthermore, the amendment allows parking lots to be installed on land separated by small roads less than 12 meters wide or small streams that are not directly adjacent to restaurant sites. Small portable simple toilets can also be installed on farmland within the GB after notification. However, farmland where agricultural production base maintenance projects have been implemented or are underway under the Farmland Management Act is excluded.

The amendment also includes the transfer of GB land purchase tasks, which have been handled by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), to the Regional Land Management Office.

Lee Sang-joo, Director of Urban Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We expect that this amendment will significantly improve the livelihood and residential inconveniences of GB residents," adding, "The amendment will be enforced from the 13th after presidential approval."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.