The rush for residential shelters continues: The National Council for Planning and Construction has recommended to the Minister of the Interior to extend the temporary regulation exempting the need for permits for the construction of residential shelters for residential units in low-rise buildings or single-storey residential units.
During the discussion, a representative of the Home Front Command presented data showing that since the approval of the rules for exemption from permits for the installation of a security room in single-storey houses and buildings up to two floors, 4,470 applications have been submitted for the installation of a security room in residential buildings – of which 3,732 have been approved. In addition, 441 applications have been submitted for the installation of a security room in educational institutions.
As a reminder, due to the security situation and the urgent need for protection of residents across the country, the National Council for Planning and Construction approved on 17.10.23 a new national framework plan that allows an accelerated procedure for the establishment of shelters across the country. The new plan is an extension of the national framework plan approved in 2019 (TAMA 40/A/1), which only applied to northern border communities and allows an accelerated procedure for protection within a radius of approximately 9 km around the northern border.
According to the plan, the construction of a shelter is currently possible in accordance with the instructions of the plan applicable to the property, and any deviation from this requires a procedure for publishing an easement with all the consequences that this entails. The TAMA 40/A/1 plan applicable to the northern municipalities allows the construction of a shelter even in the event of a deviation from the detailed plan instructions applicable to the property, and with its extension to all parts of the country, it will be possible to issue a building permit for the construction of a shelter everywhere, even if it does not comply with the detailed plan.
On 12/5/24, the Council approved an expansion of the regulations to include the construction of shelters in public buildings. The regulations state that on a plot of land designated for public use, a sheltered room can be added to an existing public building that is exempt from a building permit, with a height of up to 2 stories and a sheltered room area of ​​up to 30 square meters net. The regulations apply to religious buildings, community centers, clinics, police stations and Magen David Adom, local authority offices, and more. As mentioned, the Council today decided to extend the temporary provision under these regulations for another year.
