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Risk planning zones in France have major implications for property

Already this summer the Dordogne, the Rhône Valley and the Massive Central have suffered serious flooding and fire fighters in the south of France are bracing themselves for a precarious forest fire season as parts of the country are said to be tinder dry.

So risk areas are being identified and in some areas not only will development be banned but existing buildings could be demolished.

This has already happened in the village of Pertuis in the Vaucluse, where 36 houses are being demolished because of the risk of flooding from the River Eze. In Vaucluse at Sablet, a camping site abandoned because of flooding in 2002 is being demolished.

Until now there has been no tough implementation of risk zones in France. But the increase in disasters has prompted the government to order each prefecture to take on board new risk prevention plans.

Under these plans each area will be divided into three zones – Red means no planning permission; Blue will be planning permission subject to conditions; and White will come under local planning regulations.

Once in place there will be greater surveillance of risk areas by officials, and local authorities will required to put in place measures to reduce the level of risk, notably by appropriate infrastructure works. So in areas of high risk of fire the local authority will need to consider the construction of new access roads for fire and rescue vehicles.

Around 5000 communes most at risk now have a plan in place according to the French Minstre d'Ecologie and others are in various states of completion. Where the new regulations conflicts with local plans, the new rules will take precedent.

In the Var, for example, where some local councils have granted planning permission contrary to the local risk, Government planners are bringing cases to court to have the permission overturned.

There are major implications for existing property owners. They could find it is no longer possible to build an extension. Property in a high risk zone destroyed in a flood or fire would not necessarily be re-built.

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