Construction turbo

With the "Act to Accelerate Housing Construction and Secure Housing" ("Bau-Turbo"), individual regulations in the German Building Code (BauGB) were amended as of October 30, 2025. The aim is to facilitate residential construction projects more quickly - for example, through extended options for granting exemptions in development plan areas, simplified regulations in unplanned inner areas and a temporary experimental clause for deviations from building planning law. Remains unchanged: Environmental law and other technical requirements (e.g. nature and species protection, immission control) as well as neighboring interests and public concerns must continue to be fully observed.

On 07.05.2026, the council of the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer passed a resolution in principle to apply the building turbo (submission 52 / 2026). The aim is to facilitate residential construction projects while avoiding undesirable urban developments. The guidelines specify the areas in which the building turbo is not to be applied (e.g. outdoor areas, commercial and industrial areas), how the procedure is to be carried out and the responsibilities of the administration and political bodies. The application is always made on a case-by-case basis and is at the discretion of the city. There is no legal entitlement to use the Bau-Turbo instruments.

Not every construction project is a case for the construction turbo. The focus is on residential construction projects in already designated building areas. In principle, projects that

• Creating living space or making existing living space usable again,
• are located within building areas shown in the land use plan,
• are not located within designated or de facto commercial or industrial areas,
• are not or only with difficulty capable of being approved under general planning law,
• are compatible with urban development and do not give rise to unreasonable conflicts with public interests or neighbors.

The suitability of your project will be checked as part of a free preliminary consultation with the urban planning department.

1. preliminary coordination with urban planning

Please send your documents to Department 2.1 - Urban Planning. It will be checked there,

• whether your project is permissible under general planning law or
• whether instruments of the Bau-Turbo can be considered.

This preliminary vote is free of charge.

2. formal preliminary building application or building application

After the preliminary examination, you submit a preliminary building application or a building application to the building regulations. The statutory processing period begins upon receipt of the complete documents.

3. municipal approval according to § 36a BauGB

If necessary, the building supervisory authority obtains the approval of the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer. Depending on the instrument, the administration decides within the framework of ongoing business or the Committee for Urban Development and Economic Promotion.

§ Section 31 (3) BauGB
Extended options for granting exemptions from provisions in development plans in favor of residential construction - also in several comparable cases.
Section 34 (3b) BauGB
Deviation from the requirement of "blending in" in unplanned inner areas with the consent of the municipality for residential buildings.
§Section 246e BauGB
Temporary experimental clause (until 31.12.2030) for deviations from building planning regulations if this creates new living space or makes existing living space usable again.
Section 36a BauGB
Municipal consent within three months as a prerequisite for the application of the simplifications. No legal entitlement to consent.

The more complete your documents, the quicker it will be possible to check whether your project is eligible for the Bau-Turbo. For the initial assessment of your project within the framework of the Construction Turbo, the urban planning department requires, among other things

• Site plan showing the position of the buildings, height development, number of storeys and parking spaces (if applicable, site plan in accordance with Section 3 BauPrüfVO),
• existing view drawings,
• Key figures for building utilization (e.g. GRZ, GFZ),
• Proof of development,
• Proof of parking space in accordance with the parking space regulations,
• Proof of authorization to dispose of the land in question,
• Completed Construction Turbo checklist
• Completed form Details of the applicant.

Please send the documents as a PDF by e-mail to stadtplanung@kevelaer.de.