Coastal programme area (POC, formerly POOC): can you build on it in Portugal?
Restricted: land in a coastal programme (Programa da Orla Costeira, POC, formerly POOC) lies within a strip of at least 500 m inland, and the POC safeguard rules must be built into the municipal plan.
- Answer
- Depends on the safeguard regime that applies to the plot.
- Area
- At least 500 m inland, up to 1,000 m where justified, and the sea to the 30 m depth line.
- Reclassification
- Areas under coastal programmes cannot be reclassified under the special housing route.
- Who decides
- The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) prepares the programmes; the municipality applies them through the PDM.
- Legal basis
- Programa da Orla Costeira page of the Portuguese Environment Agency; Decreto-Lei 117/2024, article 72-B(2)
- Sources
- apambiente.pt/agua/programas-da-orla-costeira
files.diariodarepublica.pt/1s/2024/12/25200/0000900016.pdf - Checked
- 2026-11-05
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