Urban planning

The Planning Law Department consists of specialised lawyers based in the Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Lisbon and Porto offices of Uría Menéndez, enabling the firm to advise on urban development throughout Spain and Portugal.

Uria Menendez’s extensive expertise in planning issues and advise both public authorities and companies, in all matters related to planning law (planning, urban management, execution and sanctioning proceedings), some of which occasionally require the creation of multidisciplinary teams of real estate, tax or environmental law specialist lawyers.

The Planning Law Department has been regularly involved in planning developments with major impacts on the Iberian market in recent years, advising on the development of some of the largest areas of land suitable for development (suelo urbanizable) as well as the implementation of projects for shopping centres, tourist complexes, golf courses or prominent buildings, among others.

Preparation and processing of urban and territorial planning instruments

• Territorial planning: territorial plans (planes territoriales) and projects of regional interest (proyectos de interés regional).
• General planning: general plans (planes generales) and plans for definition of planning-units (planes de sectorización).
• Development planning: partial plans (planes parciales), special plans (planes especiales) and detailed surveys (estudio de detalle).

Preparation and processing of urban management instruments

• Allotment projects (proyectos de reparcelación o compensación).
• Expropriation proceedings (procedimientos de expropiación forzosa).

Planning agreements

• Negotiating, drafting and processing agreements on zoning and urban management matters (convenios urbanísticos).

Compensation boards and maintenance entities of public infrastructure works

• Incorporation of compensation boards (juntas de compensación) and maintenance entities of public infrastructure works (entidades urbanísticas de conservación de obras de urbanización) and advising them on planning matters.

Urban planning agents

• Drafting and processing urban development programmes (Programas De Actuación Urbanizadora o Integrada).

Processing and obtaining permits and licences

• Advice on matters dealing with licences and permits (permits for rural land, commercial licences, tourist authorisations, etc.).
• Advice on processing municipal planning authorisations (works and first occupation licences, activity and operation licences).

Implementation of building projects (due diligence)

• Legal analysis of plots of land from a planning standpoint.
• Control and monitoring of the administrative processing of urban developments.
• Verification of required licences and permits.
• Analysis of compliance with applicable legislation (regulations on roads, cattle paths, railways, mines, etc.).
• Verification of the existence of procedures for sanctions or o reinstate the pre-existing legal situation from a planning standpoint.

Pre-litigation and litigation

• Advice on proceedings to reinstate the pre-existing legal situation from a planning standpoint, closure orders and sanctions.
• Administrative and related procedures on planning and urban management, the rejection of licences and sanctions.

Drafting legislation and legal opinions