In our street, things were quite curious regarding the development plans. The new buildings to the left of us have a different development plan than the neighbors to the right of us. There was an individual plan only for our plot, which was just under 5,000 sqm back then and had already been in family ownership for two generations. This plan was changed by the municipality 15 years ago to build a turning circle solely for the collection of our garbage bin. We were not even informed about this at the time. Apparently, the municipality lacked the budget for construction.
Our surveyor stumbled upon this when he was supposed to survey three plots from one.
In the part now developed by us, the turning circle was planned, and therefore there was no building site for us.
We argued with the municipal association for almost a year until we were able to apply for the establishment of a new development plan and the planner was finally willing to have a conversation.
The crowning glory of it all: the development plan was restored to its original state. Saddle roofs with two full stories were now permitted. Our previously submitted preliminary building inquiry: a villa with a hipped roof! oops:
Our approach: application for exemption for the roof. Result: rejection of the building application on the same evening, accompanied by the caseworker's smirking smile.
In the end, we built a villa with a tent roof. Justification: in the adjacent development plan, two villas had been built. One with a hipped roof, the other with a tent roof. We applied for equal treatment!
The application had to go through all committees, which of course did not meet promptly or consecutively.
In the meantime, I got involved in local politics to better counter such arbitrariness for others. Bureaucratic arbitrariness is awful!
Costs for establishing the development plan and planner: estimated at €4200, invoiced: €700. We were able to live with the minor damage.
Our neighbors have always supported us and provided their documents. I believe talking always helps!!! Therefore: go and talk and it will certainly turn out well, as long as you don’t get caught in bureaucratic arbitrariness.