Starting a Business

# Finding and choosing a location

The perfect business location depends on a variety of factors including the specific industry, proximity to suppliers, and many other things. It is especially important for business founders to choose a suitable location. Here we have compiled services and information to help you find the ideal location for your business.

To Services

As a citizen, you can help shape the Federal Spatial Plan for Flood Protection. You can submit your comments on the draft plan.

You can request information on the content of a land use plan from the local authority responsible.

You can participate in the creation or amendment of a land use plan.

If you want to know whether your property could be used as a building plot at all, you should take a look at the land use plan of the responsible authority. The land use plan is the preparatory urban land-use plan (urban development framework plan) of the competent authority. It contains the urban development uses desired by the planning body and differentiated for the individual areas. For example, residential areas, commercial building areas, supply areas, areas for public use, traffic areas, green areas, forest areas and agricultural land. The land-use plan does not have any direct legal effect vis-à-vis citizens. No legal claims, in particular the right to a building permit for a specific property, can be derived from his drawings and textual representations. However, it represents a binding programme for the administration and other authorities. An indirect concern arises from the fact that development plans, which contain the legally binding determinations for all citizens, are to be developed from the representations of the land use plan. In addition, citizens are indirectly affected by approvals of projects in the "outdoor area" pursuant to § 35 of the Building Code (BauGB), because representations of the land use plan contradicting the construction projects would have to be countered as "impairment of public interests". In order to ensure planning security, a period of validity of 10 to 15 years for the land use plan should be sought.

These Assistance Services support you in exercising your rights and fulfilling your duties in the European internal market.

The pan-European network of Points of Single Contact can provide you with details of any legal requirements and help you to complete relevant procedures.