Μake us preferred on Google A municipality in the Athens metropolitan area has adopted a new measure linking the removal of a single tree for construction to a requirement to provide at least 200 replacement trees.
The decision by the municipal council of Vrilissia establishes an environmental compensation requirement for a developer who requested permission to cut down a pine tree to build a new property. The municipality says the measure could serve as a model for how local authorities handle similar cases and protect urban green spaces.
Mayor Giannis Pisimisis, who proposed the measure, said the decision should establish a lasting precedent for the municipality rather than remain a one-off arrangement. He emphasized the need for stricter rules to protect urban greenery.
At least 200 trees for every tree removed
Under the decision, the environmental compensation provided by the developer cannot amount to fewer than 200 trees.
The municipality’s Green Services Department will assess the circumstances of each case and recommend which trees should be planted and where, based on a relevant study.
The approach makes tree removal for construction subject to a specific environmental obligation intended both to compensate for the loss and to increase the amount of greenery in the city.
The municipality will play a role in determining the compensation measures, rather than treating tree removal solely as a technical or planning matter.
Municipality seeks changes to building permit rules
Pisimisis also called for changes to the legal framework governing building permits when construction involves cutting down trees in public spaces.
The proposal calls for the municipality to approach the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece and the relevant ministry to amend the existing rules. Under the proposed changes, the competent municipal body would first decide whether to approve the removal of a tree before the building permit process could proceed.
The municipality also plans to inform construction companies, the Technical Chamber of Greece and the local building authority so that it is notified in advance whenever a similar case arises.
The aim is to ensure that local authorities can assess proposed tree removals before construction approvals advance and decisions become more difficult to reverse.
The municipality’s position is that the protection of urban greenery should be incorporated into the building approval process from the outset, with local authorities involved in decisions and developers subject to clear environmental obligations.
