The announcement from the Minister of Development and Technology, Waldemar Buda, revealed on social media that the block on Śródziemnomorska Street in Warsaw is under official review. Authorities have filed notifications with the General Office for Construction Supervision (PINB) and the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) as part of the response, with a clear aim to safeguard potential buyers and ensure compliance.
The minister shared findings from a building inspection conducted at the site, highlighting a series of concerns about the project. Immediate corrective actions were signaled, signaling a commitment to address issues swiftly and transparently.
Key concerns included apartments marketed as rooms, reduced natural light caused by design changes, and parking provisions that did not align with the approved plan. The minister stated that all applicable remedies would be pursued and the matter would be reported to the relevant authorities for further investigation and enforcement.
Notifications to PINB and UOKiK are part of the strategy to ensure compliance and protect prospective buyers from potentially unfair practices or misleading information.
Announcement from the Ministry of Development and Technology
The ministry issued an official communiqué about the cited construction project. The core measures announced include halting work at the site, starting repair procedures through the powiat construction supervision, and taking action against the designer. A formal report was also directed to UOKiK regarding suspicions that the investor engaged in unfair practices toward customers.
The Mediterranean Street block is planned to be adjacent to a villa project. Local authorities have found it challenging to establish a long-term local spatial development plan, prompting developers to work with Construction Conditions (Wuzetki). The inspection identified material non-conformities with the approved design.
The ministry stated that the GUNB inspection at the Śródziemnomorska Street project revealed multiple deviations from the approved scheme. The call to restore lawful standards included stopping construction and requesting PINB Warszawa to begin repair procedures. A formal report to UOKiK was also prepared to investigate potential unfair customer practices.
The inspection found unauthorized changes to the structural design. Changes included converting certain storage spaces on the second and third floors into changing rooms and expanding usable living space by integrating storage areas into residential units. Windows were added in these spaces, reducing daylight access and failing to meet daylighting requirements. The underground garage layout was altered, expanding the usable area to more than 0.5 hectares, a modification with potential environmental implications. An environmental impact assessment might be required, and some storage areas were converted into bicycle storage spaces.
Additionally, eleven storage rooms on the first floor were converted into a one-room apartment, with further installations, window and balcony modifications creating a space that could function as residential and suffer from insufficient natural light. In project documentation, this area is described as a reserve room.
Experts and officials concluded that the project was moving away from common-sense standards. The GUNB findings pointed to systemic irregularities, prompting a call to immediately halt construction by the Warsaw construction supervisor and to pursue penalties against the designer for altering the project’s character in a significant way.
Minister Waldemar Buda reiterated the intention to suspend construction and pursue accountability for deviations that undermine project integrity.
Actions Taken and Planned
GUNB outlined several steps following the inspection:
1. Inform the president of UOKiK about suspicions that the investor engaged in practices that could harm collective consumer interests by failing to provide reliable, truthful, and complete information about the property.
2. Report the inspection results to PINB Warszawa to initiate proceedings and determine further action at the first instance level.
3. Forward the results to the President of the capital city for potential future actions related to the building, such as changes to the building permit or use of the property.
4. Notify the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (RDEP) to assess whether an environmental impact assessment is required.
These developments underscore the ministry’s commitment to reform in land use planning and development, including ongoing work in the Sejm. They also reflect efforts to tighten regulations around technical conditions and to counter practices that mislead buyers, illustrating a broader push to safeguard apartment and house purchasers.
– remarks attributed to Minister Waldemar Buda. Acknowledgments to media outlets and agencies are noted in the official briefing.
Source: wPolityce