Ile-de-France sets out a new land-use strategy based on the proactive contribution of local mayors

Building, simplifying and breaking down barriers:

Ile-de-France sets out a new land-use strategy based on the proactive contribution of local mayors

 

In adopting a new five-year plan for economic regeneration, known as the Programme Pluriannuel d’Investissement (PPI), the EPF Ile-de-France board has set out a new, highly aggressive strategy to make a significant amount of land available throughout the Ile-de-France region between 2016 and 2020. Chaired by Valérie Pécresse, EPF will invest €1.8 billion over the next five years to provide land needed for more housing and attract business.

The strategy is designed to enable all public and private-sector stakeholders to give long-term impetus to construction in Ile-de-France. EPFIF plans to achieve this goal through a 50% increase in the land it holds, which represented 12.4 million square metres on 31 December 2015.

Through the new regional policy to promote construction and housing, EPF Ile-de-France will:

• sell land acquired at cost price, subject to neither profit nor discounting, based on the price at which the land was purchased plus any related costs. Its sales growth leading up to 2020 should allow EPF to increase land acquisitions by 25%, without higher taxes;
• simplify standards to ease restrictions fettering local mayors. Standards overlapping the legal requirements already introduced under France’s law on solidarity and urban renewal (SRU) will be removed. The only standard in effect will be that implemented by the law, namely a 25% share of social housing in each commune, increased to 30% for communes in which such housing is severely lacking;
• provide long-term support for major development projects in the Ile-de-France region through a 25% increase in land acquisitions, with a focus on projects involving major infrastructure (Grand Paris Express), urban planning, and key events (2024 Olympic Games), which will enhance the appeal of the region as a whole.

 

EPF Ile-de-France will work alongside all relevant economic stakeholders to restore balance in the region and tackle the problem of substandard housing through initiatives designed to redevelop co-owned properties that have fallen into a poor state of repair.

 

Valérie Pécresse, Chair of the EPF Ile-de-France Board of Directors: “Our new strategy for land use is a real change. Through the scale of its investments, it will give real impetus to construction. By doing away with needless standards, it will make it significantly easier for mayors to implement initiatives. Through its scope and impact, it will enhance the appeal of France’s number-one region. We are giving ourselves the means to achieve our ambition of helping everyone find the best possible housing solution and changing the face of Ile-de-France.”