Real estate sector warns Brussels construction freeze could jeopardise dozens of projects

Construction groups are concerned that a recent judgement calling to stop building on any plot of undeveloped land larger than 0.5 hectares will halt many important projects.

The ruling by the French-speaking Court of First Instance in Brussels, following a case brought by environmental groups WeAreNature.Brussels, Bruxelles Nature and 1,330 local residents, affects land including the Josaphat friche and Carré des Chardons site near Place Meiser in Schaerbeek, and, in Forest, the Marais Wiels and the Bempt site – where the new Union-Saint-Gilloise stadium is to be built.

Welcomed as a win for biodiversity, the preservation of green spaces and residents’ health and well-being by nature groups, the real estate sector is concerned that construction projects on as many as 70 plots of land could be suspended until at least 31 December 2026, or until Belgium’s Regional Land Use Plan (PRAS) is revised.

The Universalis (UP3) housing project of Immobel and Thomas & Piron on the La Plaine site in Ixelles - used by Brussels’ French and Dutch-speaking ULB/VUB universities - is at risk. Developers were planning 100,000m² of new construction, mainly for homes. They have already been told to scale down the project to cover 60,000m² and to include more green areas.

“Especially with projects such as Universalis, clarity is crucial,” Ixelles alderwoman for urban planning and heritage Julie De Groote (Les Engagés) said. “If we continue without clarity, associations will immediately appeal the ruling.”

Bruzz reports that the cabinet of outgoing Brussels minister-president Rudi Vervoort (Socialist) and outgoing state secretary for urban development Ans Persoons (Vooruit) has called the verdict “exceptional” and is not ruling anything out. Possible further action could include lodging an appeal or asking the judge for clarification.

Vervoort’s cabinet is now investigating the ruling and all possible legal options to oppose it.