Building prohibition zone
A building prohibition zone (byggeforbudssone) is a belt along a specific object or line where, as a general rule, building is not permitted. The purpose is to keep an area free of buildings for the sake of nature, safety, access or future needs. The best known examples are the general building ban in the 100-metre belt along the sea and the building lines along public roads, but building prohibition zones also exist along watercourses, railways, power lines and around certain installations.
The most important example is the coastal zone (strandsonen). Under plan- og bygningsloven § 1-8, measures are prohibited in the 100-metre belt along the sea, where particular weight must be given to nature, outdoor recreation and landscape. The ban applies unless another building line is set in a zoning plan (reguleringsplan) or municipal plan (kommuneplan), and it is strictly applied. Similarly, veglova § 29 sets building lines along public roads, so that buildings must keep a minimum distance from the road for the sake of traffic safety, maintenance and future widening. Separate distance requirements apply along watercourses and railways, and there are building prohibition zones under high-voltage power lines for safety reasons.
In a land use plan, building prohibition zones are often shown as consideration zones (hensynssoner) or through building lines on the plan map, with provisions that specify what is prohibited and what may still be allowed. A building prohibition zone is not always an absolute ban on everything: some measures may be permitted, and in certain cases the municipality can grant a dispensation, but the threshold is high, especially in the coastal zone. It is important to distinguish the building prohibition zone from an ordinary building line within a plot, which only governs where on the plot a building can be placed. The building prohibition zone is justified by an overriding protection interest.
For a buyer or developer, building prohibition zones are among the factors that can change the value of a property dramatically. A plot near the sea can look attractive, but if large parts of it lie in the 100-metre belt or inside a building line, the actual buildable area can be far smaller than the size of the plot suggests. Such zones should therefore be clarified early, before you assess the development potential, because they apply independently of, and often in addition to, the ordinary degree of utilisation.
In practice, a zoning plan often sets its own building line towards the sea, a road or a watercourse that replaces the general zone, and then the line in the plan applies. Some measures may also be exempt, for example necessary measures in agriculture or facilities for public access. What matters for a developer is knowing whether a property is covered by a general ban, by a line set in a plan, or by both, because that governs where on the plot it is at all relevant to place buildings.
In Placepoint you can see the zoning plan, consideration zones and relevant map layers over a property, so that you see early whether a building prohibition zone, such as the coastal zone or a building line along a road, affects the plot.
How the dataset appears on the map
The dataset is part of the map layer Energy as Building prohibition zones – power lines:
From Placepoint's dictionary: Building prohibition zone
More information: Plan- og bygningsloven § 1-8 (the 100-metre belt), Veglova § 29 (building lines)
Norwegian: byggeforbudssone (a belt, such as the 100-metre coastal zone or a road setback, where building is in principle not permitted).
Frequently asked questions
What is a building prohibition zone?
A belt along an object or line, such as the sea, a road, a watercourse or a power line, where building is generally not permitted, for the sake of nature, safety or access.
What is the 100-metre belt?
The ban on measures in the first 100 metres along the sea under plan- og bygningsloven § 1-8, where particular weight is given to nature, outdoor recreation and landscape. It applies unless another building line is set in a plan.
Is a building prohibition zone an absolute ban?
Not always. Some measures may be permitted, and in certain cases the municipality can grant a dispensation, but the threshold is high, especially in the coastal zone.
What is the difference between a building prohibition zone and a building line?
A building line within a plot governs where a building can be placed. A building prohibition zone is justified by an overriding protection interest, such as the coastal zone or a road, and applies independently of the plot's internal building lines.
How do building prohibition zones affect value?
They can sharply reduce the actual buildable area. A plot near the sea can have much of its area in the 100-metre belt, so that the development potential is far lower than the size suggests. Clarify such zones early.