New Planning Rules Threaten Rural Jewish Settlements
Translated & summarized from Mida by baba
A new amendment to Israel's National Outline Plan 35 is set to severely restrict construction in rural Jewish communities, particularly in the Negev and Galilee. The changes, driven by the Planning Administration, replace old housing quotas with new, complex requirements including extensive environmental impact studies and a mandatory "mix" of small housing units. These new regulations are expected to halt expansion in most rural settlements and undermine their ability to attract new families, effectively threatening the future of rural settlement.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- New planning amendment TAMA 35 threatens to halt construction in Israel's rural Jewish settlements.
- The amendment introduces complex 'settlement documents' and 'environmental impact' assessments for all expansions.
- A new 'mix' requirement mandates 30% of all units in a settlement be small, impacting existing homes.
- If the 'mix' is unachievable, all new units will be capped at 105 square meters, preventing family homes.
- These restrictions apply to all rural settlements, not just those previously near housing quotas.
- The changes are currently open for public comment during the election period.
A critical planning document, Amendment No. 5 to National Outline Plan 35 (TAMA 35), is poised to significantly hinder the construction of new homes in Israel's rural areas, particularly in the Negev and Galilee. This plan, considered the "constitution" of Israeli planning, dictates the country's development for decades. While ostensibly aimed at regulating construction in rural communities and resolving existing issues, the amendment introduces unforeseen difficulties and new restrictions.
The changes stem from public outcry over "Table 2," an arbitrary quota system limiting housing units in settlements. This table, based on outdated formulas, restricts most rural communities to a maximum of 350-500 families. The current amendment proposes to replace "Table 2" with a new limit of 650-700 plots in peripheral areas, which appears to be an improvement. However, the Planning Administration has embedded several drastic, detrimental changes within the document.
Key among these new requirements is a comprehensive "settlement document" for every expansion plan. This document must detail the existing population, projected growth, and demographic and social characteristics. Furthermore, a new "environmental impact" clause mandates an assessment of how an expansion would affect surrounding areas, including transportation, employment, commerce, and tourism, in relation to all neighboring settlements and nearby cities. This extensive documentation process is costly and time-consuming, previously reserved for much larger developments.
Another significant change mandates a "mix" in new expansions, requiring 30% of all housing units in the settlement, post-expansion, to be small (averaging 80 square meters). Critically, this calculation includes existing homes, meaning a settlement might need to create more small units than the entire planned expansion to meet the 30% target. If this is impossible, all new units are capped at a maximum of 105 square meters, effectively preventing the construction of spacious family homes. These restrictions, impacting all rural settlements regardless of their size or proximity to quotas, threaten the core purpose of settlement expansion: attracting new families and bolstering regional demographics.