22 Apr 2024, 21:24

Duchies government pass ban on destruction of heritage buildings
The law to ban the demolition of buildings built before 1950 has officially passed today. The Heritage Preservation Act essentially lists all buildings built before 1950 as protected buildings. The act requires that all alternative uses for housing, commercial use and community use must be exhausted before the building can be demolished with developers having to prove that any sensitive development or alternative use is impractical. The acts passing comes after years of campaigning from heritage preservation organisations in the United Duchies. The act is expected to protect entire neighbourhoods and also requires that should such a building burn down buildings built before 1950 must be rebuilt in the same location and with the same design lest the developer face jail and imprisonment. The act will also allow heritage organisations to object to redevelopment plans and propose alternative uses being able to buy the building from site owners if they can pay the market rate for the building and have funds to redevelop the site in a sensitive manner themselves.