PLANNING LAWS

The disadvantage of living in a rich, well-ordered society is that there are lots of rules. And nowhere are there more rules than in the area of planning. As an example, no new building is allowed within 300 metres of the coast; and there are severe restrictions in the area up to 3km from the coast. Since Denmark has lots of coast (nobody lives more than 52 km from the sea) that's a big restriction. Local authorities in particular chafe at the straitjacket these rules impose in developing tourism.

So they were quick to welcome the Government's announcement this week that 10 tourist development projects will be allowed within the 300 m area as an experiment. They quickly followed up that welcome by saying that ten were not nearly enough. But it's a start.

Walter Blotscher