Questions regarding the lack of adoption of the Spatial and Urban Plan, the areas within the Budva municipality that lack planning documents, the current detailed urban plans, those that have expired, those under development, and the state institutions and authorities responsible for leaving the tourism metropolis insufficiently covered by spatial planning remain unanswered by the Budva Municipality, despite a follow-up to the Mayor’s office.

The construction industry has flourished in Budva for the past two decades, generating millions annually. City officials have historically secured votes and managed the tourism metropolis largely through backing from the construction lobby, which appears poised to advance their projects, primarily focused on apartment construction for the market.

It is important to note that the development of the Spatial and Urban Plan (SUP) for the Municipality of Budva is still underway, currently in the draft correction phase.

Two significant detailed urban plans, “Budva Center Amendments” and “Bečići”, expired in 2014, yet municipal authorities still implement them, with the relevant ministry regularly issuing building permits. These areas are among the most attractive for construction.

Over the past nine years since the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) lost power, tens of thousands of square meters have been constructed in the regions tied to these contentious planning documents. It was those who rose to power, mainly factions originating from the split of the former Democratic Front, who blamed the DPS for the construction chaos and excessive building in Budva.

Although the Democrats successfully instituted a one-year moratorium on the DUP “Budva Center” in 2017, and invalidated the DUP “Petrovac” in 2019, they failed to repeal the DUP “Bečići” that outlined a staggering three million square meters of residential and commercial development in the coastal town.

The then Democratic Front, under Marko Carević, disregarded appeals from the Democrats to overturn the DUP “Bečići”, initiating the decline of their government, culminating in new elections in the summer of 2020. Ironically, this situation enabled Carević to gain power. The promises and planning documents from politicians, sometimes associated with the DPS and other times with the DF, have played a pivotal role in securing electoral votes. Attempts to combat unregulated urbanization in Budva always faltered before elections.

Regrettably, a significant portion of Budva continues to lack adequate planning documents, particularly in the outskirts and appealing sections of the city itself.

While it was anticipated that the adoption of the PUP would halt the rampant construction in Budva, it seems this will take time. In the interim, the Municipality and relevant ministry continue to issue dozens of permits monthly.

The amendments to the 2014 Spatial and Urban Plan (SUP) for the Kolašin municipality were not adopted until February of this year. Local government initiated amendments six to seven years prior, completing an initial draft in 2020. Following a public hearing, a report containing 230 comments and requests was prepared.

During this period, there has been a change in the Planning Document Revision Council, and the advancements of the 2020 plan have yet to proceed through legal processes. The reasons for halting the further development of the draft plan, as previously indicated by developers, remain unclear.

Eventually, last year, after an extensive public debate, a draft decision was shaped, which inexplicably remained pending adoption until February of this year.

The Special Purpose Spatial Plan (SPSP) “Bjelasica and Komovi” encompasses part of the Kolašin municipality, including the regions surrounding these two mountains, along with Bijelo Polje, Berane, Andrijevica, and Podgorica municipalities.

Detailed urban plans (DUP) cover the Center, Industrial Zone, Breza, Smailagića Polje, Radigojno, and Sports Zone.

Local studies have been conducted for two mountain centers on Bjelasica – Kolašin 1450 and Kolašin 1600, as well as for Komovi. Additionally, local site studies are available for 14 segments of the Kolašin municipality.

The DUP for the Center, along with its amendments and supplements, was adopted over a decade ago. The excessive construction in the city center, relying on that planning document and subsequent interpretations by developers, which expanded both the height and scale of newly built facilities, has faced scrutiny. Local opposition and environmental activists have repeatedly called for a moratorium on the DUP Centar to safeguard the city center, yet the current Kolašin government has not demonstrated the willingness to do so.

According to the Municipality, the new DUP for the Center will likely be the inaugural task of the Agency for Design and Spatial Planning, established under the new Law on Spatial Planning.

Furthermore, the local government intends to revise the 2011 Breza DUP and the Smailagića Polje DUP, adopted two years earlier, as these regions have drawn considerable investor interest, leading to aggressive construction.

The Urban Planning Plan amendments currently in effect for the entire Nikšić municipality set guidelines that can be directly applied across most of the territory, significantly alleviating the issue of inadequate detailed plans in Nikšić.

This information was provided by the Secretariat for Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection to “Vijesti”.

“The amendments to the Urban Development Plan of the Municipality of Nikšić establish areas for which DUP development was anticipated, primarily in regions with undefined regulations requiring new road planning. Some of these areas had existed under detailed plans, but they have since been invalidated. Throughout the period when planning documentation development was under the ministry’s control, no new DUP was developed for our municipality,” stated the Secretariat’s response.

The municipality currently has 14 active DUPs within the Nikšić region and four location studies for municipal areas, but no planning documents are being developed.

“The Municipality possesses a Design and Planning Agency that operated on planning documents until 2019 and will resume work upon receiving the necessary licensing. It is anticipated that a detailed regulation plan for the municipal center will be prepared within a year, followed by others as required for some suburban areas,” the Secretariat for Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection noted in their response.

Ministry: New policies in the field of spatial planning

The Law on Spatial Planning, effective March 5, 2025, establishes a normative framework to introduce new policies in spatial planning, as stated by the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism, and State Property.

The provisions outlined in the Law also pertain to planning documents within local self-government jurisdictions, mandating that the spatial and urban plan at the local level serves as the overarching planning document, containing frameworks for the legalization of illegal structures, according to the Ministry.

Given that the Law on Spatial Planning necessitates the adoption of new planning documents—primarily addressing illegal construction in line with regulations on legalizing unauthorized structures—the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism, and State Property emphasizes this requirement.

No plans in development phase in Plužine

According to the response from the Municipality of Plužine to “Vijesti”, the entire territory of the municipality is encompassed by existing planning documents, specifically the Spatial and Urban Plan of the Municipality of Plužine (“Official Gazette of Montenegro – Municipal Regulations” No. 32/12), and the settlement of Plužine, governed by the Detailed Urban Plan (“Official Gazette of Montenegro – Municipal Regulations” No. 78/21).

“Currently, the Municipality of Plužine has one active Detailed Urban Plan ‘Center’ for Plužine (“Official Gazette of Montenegro – Municipal Regulations” No. 78/21) relevant to the settlement of Plužine. At this time, we have no plans under development or in the amendment stages. Amendments and supplements for the Spatial and Urban Plan of the Municipality of Plužine (“Official Gazette of Montenegro – Municipal Regulations” No. 32/12) are underway and will be aligned with Montenegro’s Spatial Plan,” the Municipality of Plužine stated.

News