Building permits, an everyday tool in urban planning, serve as a barometer for a number of sectors: the construction sector, the implementation of policies to promote ecological transition and changes in taxation. The focus adopted by the financial jurisdictions in this investigation is on the quality of service provided to those applying for land-use authorisations (applicants). In order to assess how users perceive this, it is necessary to take into account the changing and stratified context of urban planning legislation, of which building permits are one aspect, as well as the complex ways in which local public policies in this area are implemented. The investigation has chosen to explore this environment, in which the law in force, which is constantly evolving, is sometimes difficult to reconcile with local policy issues. Mayors attach great importance to this prerogative, enabling them to
maintain a direct link with applicants and their local authority's urban planning policy. Barely 0.3 % of local authorities have agreed to delegate their powers to an intermunicipal body when it comes to signing building permit authorisations. This report provides an in- depth analysis of the building permit environment, which can be described as ‘inextricable’ for applicants who are embarking on a property project that is sometimes a once-in-a-lifetime venture.
