The Model of City, Urbanism, Housing, and Environment department at Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council has reduced the average resolution time for major construction permits by three months during the current legislative term. According to Borja Rodríguez, the head of the area, at the beginning of this term in 2023, the average processing time for these permits stood at 5.54 months, which has now been lowered to 2.64 months after three years.
Rodríguez explained in the Casa Consistorial press room that this decrease has been continuous and progressive over the intervening years. After the 5.54 months recorded three years ago, it dropped to 4.61 months last year and currently stands at 2.64 months based on September data, with three months remaining in the year. This reduction in processing time means a shift from the 172 days required in 2023 to just 82 days currently.
Major construction works encompass new buildings, renovations, as well as demolition and industrial facility permits. Borja Rodríguez also addressed the decrease observed in the average processing times for each of these specific types of applications.
The most significant reduction is seen in industrial facility permits, where the average processing time has fallen from 204 days three years ago to just 26 days. The second largest decrease is noted in new construction permits. While the average waiting time in 2023 was 6.45 months, by the end of September it was set at 2.87 months, representing a drop from 200 days to only 89.
For renovation permits, deadlines have shortened from 5.32 months to the current 2.58 months, a change from 165 days at the start of the term to an average response time of 80 days. Lastly, demolition procedures, which began with a timeframe of 3.29 months, now have an average response time of 1.54 months (48 days), compared to 102 days in 2023.
