Environmental protection law weakened: National Council also wants apartments in noisy streets and airports

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On Monday, the Council approved a text proposal from the preliminary advisory commission, which commission spokesman Nicolò Paganini (Central/SG) described as “the application of extended ventilation windows”. The commission has previously said this provides “a balance between interior density and noise protection”.

In particular, building permits for apartments in areas where noise emission limits are exceeded in Switzerland will be allowed under the following conditions: In each residential unit, at least one noise-sensitive room has a window that meets the limit values.

In addition, the remaining rooms should have controlled living space ventilation or an external area for private use where noise limits are observed.

Smoothing will allow more flats

Alternatively, a building permit can be obtained if at least half of the noise-sensitive rooms in each housing unit have windows that meet the emission limit values ​​and the sound insulation is tightened appropriately and economically.

In December, for example, the State Council argued that residential construction should also be possible if noise-sensitive rooms in an apartment building receive controlled living space ventilation.

A minority in the National Council wanted the city association’s so-called ventilation window to be implemented in principle. According to this practice, residential construction in areas where noise is high is possible if every noise-sensitive room in each residential unit has a window that meets the emission limit values.

The Federal Council also wanted to enshrine the practice of ventilation windows in law. On Monday, Bundestag Member Albert Rösti talked about a simple and clear rule that offers a compromise between the expansion of residential construction and noise protection.

Greens toy with referendum

The National Council approved the bill by plenary vote, with 119 votes to 67 and 6 abstentions. While the votes for “extended ventilation” came from the SVP, FDP and partly the center group, SP, Greens and GLP opposed it.

GLP spokesman Beat Flach (AG) criticized the “extended ventilation practice” as impractical. Bastien Girod (Greens/ZH) said the proposal would lead to noisier apartments that would make people sick. According to a media statement on Monday evening, the Greens are already preparing to hold a referendum against the parliamentary decision.

But it’s not that far yet. Since there are now differences between the National Council and the Council of States, the bill goes back to the Council of States.

No more apartments but less street noise

On Monday, the National Council also accepted the proposal of National Councilor Thomas Hurter, Senior Vice President of Schaffhausen, who wanted to stipulate in the Environmental Protection Act that: “A reduction of the general maximum speed on traffic-oriented roads cannot be requested.”

The National Council is doubling down on speed reductions in urban areas to reduce noise. Just last Wednesday, the Council of States approved a motion requiring the Federal Council to adapt the Road Traffic Act in the spirit of Hurter.

The National Council also approved a proposal to establish a new special noise limit near the airport. He comes from the SVP/FDP minority on the National Council’s advisory commission and wants to ensure that settlements develop inward despite aircraft noise pollution in areas near the airport.

The Swiss Homeowners Association welcomed the National Council’s decisions in a statement as “an important step in the right direction”. Already in the membership debate, Gabriela Suter (SP/AG) also threatened a referendum if the councils go too far. (SDA)

Source : Blick