The Medina planning process demystified

Time and again clients approach Chic Marrakech with preconceived ideas that the processes and bureaucracy involved in purchasing riads then planning applications and renovation might be complex and protracted, whereas the reality is quite the opposite.

Every aspect of the Medina property market is, in fact, simple and straightforward, and extremely easy to negotiate without the hindrance of either red tape or corruption.

For me though, the key is not just being well versed in all its intricacies to ensure that clients are looked after properly, but also having the support of competent, reliable professionals.

This is especially true in regard of planning applications and the planning process.

One of the main areas of my work is design and architecture for Medina properties. This involves managing the whole planning process on behalf of clients – (from the beginning of a design brief, right through to the submission of a planning application and following it through to its receipt), so clients don't have to do a thing.

I am helped enormously with this by the head of the planning office – who has, for some time, been working closely with me on various elements of my design work, such as the structural detailing on plans, the collation of the paperwork for planning applications and their submission. This relationship provides me with a unique advantage in being able to turn around planning applications with the minimum of fuss – especially as he is responsible for signing them off!

A lot of clients don’t have an appetite to undertake major building work in the Medina and look to purchase riads that simply require cosmetic work and modernization.

In this case, all that is required to undertake the restoration of a riad is a permit for small works. The planning process entailed for this is immediate and effectively free, and can be turned around in just two to three days.

Where clients take on riads that require structural work and renovation, or ruins, which need rebuilding, a full planning application is required to obtain planning permission and a construction permit.

The plans and detailing required for this are comprehensive and thorough. This is imperative as building work will not only be responsible for stabilizing a riad, but also those of neighbouring properties that will often have fragile mud party walls and no foundations whatsoever.

An application must include plans of the existing riad or ruin, full architectural plans of the new riad – (containing elevations of the courtyard facades, derb frontage and cross sections of the floor plates with floor to ceiling heights compliant to regulations), and a breakdown of the technical aspects of the project in an engineering folder. This folder will contain, for instance, plans of the foundations and structural columns, the composition and marriage of the foundations and earthworks, the detailing of the different foundations for the differing points of the riad, the breakdown of the reinforced columns, and the marriage and composite cross sections of the floor plates. It is reassuringly comprehensive.

Having the head of planning personally assist me with putting applications together then oversee their submission and approval is truly advantageous. Not only does it enable applications to be fast-tracked and turned around in a mere three weeks, it also provides leeway with planning restrictions on features like swimming pools and externalized windows.

There are exceptions to this though, most notably with riads situated next to any royal palace, or in the Kasbah district where applications are rigorously scrutinized due to the proximity of the Palace of Mohamed VI.

There is a small government tax on a construction permit - i.e. tax urbaine, but it is worth pointing out this is the sole administrative cost a client is liable for throughout an entire project.

Finally for clients wishing to open a declared and licensed guest house, a full planning application with additional paperwork is required.

In addition to the full architectural plans that show compliance with statutory guest house requirements such as a minimum of five bedrooms – (which are at least 12m2 each with en-suites), as well as the technical detailing for a rebuild, or full renovation with structural work, an application would include an administrative dossier with supplementary papers like fire and utility certificates, along with studies on security and structural solidity.

There is considerably more work for us in turning guest house planning applications round, but submissions can be processed in just six weeks.

It is worth noting that for guest house planning applications there is a second tax to pay - i.e. tax mairie.

For more details on the planning process in the Marrakech Medina, or the unique service we offer, please feel free to get in touch.