Will Prague set up central construction office to speed up permits?

Prague Deputy mayor Petr Hlavacek has suggested that a central construction office could rule on construction permit applications for all projects above 4,000 sqm. Speaking at a workshop on building in the capital city, he said that the current network of 22 construction offices would remain in place, deciding on all of the applications for smaller projects. But he admitted that while a portion of the coalition that runs Prague is for the creation of a central consrtruction office, the opinion is not unanimous. The Praha Sobe leader Jan Čižinský is concerned that the move is too risky. But doing nothing about the long wait times for building permits is becoming increasingly risky from a political standpoint, with many seeing them as responsible in part for a lack of affordable housing.