What is possible at this business location?

The choice of a business location or changes to your business can be essential to the success of your business plan. Especially when your company can have a potentially negative impact on the existing quality and situation of living and working in the vicinity of the company and/or requires governmental approval. Having insight into what business activities are legally permitted and what development space you have, is important input for your location or expansion decision.

A municipal zoning plan regulates where certain business activities may be located and what business activities are possible. But the future planning policy of the municipality is also relevant when a deviation from the zoning plan is needed, immediately or in the future, for new business developments.

Lease or ground lease conditions or environmental zoning can also significantly limit business opportunities.

Not to be underestimated is the importance of mapping the sensitivity of the surrounding environment around the (planned) company, because of the possible existence of consequences for local residents, business activities of other companies and nature - and landscape interests and possible ensuing legal actions.

If your business activities do not (entirely) fit in with the existing regulations, then you run an enforcement risk. In the event of violations, the government may write to your company and there is a good chance that you will be imposed a penalty to stop the violation and/or you may even be prosecuted for the violation. These are usually economic crimes that can carry high penalties. Not to mention the resulting business restrictions, 'hassle', costs and possible negative publicity for your company.

But the good news is that in such situations it is often possible to turn an enforcement process into a legalization process, in good substantive consultation with the government concerned.

What does HABITAT do?

HABITAT will map the existing legal site aspects and environmental sensitivity with you as best as possible. If necessary, enforcement risks are also mapped out. In an intake meeting, free of obligation, we map out your specific wishes for a business location investigation together. Because of the great variety of situations we offer a fixed price on request after the intake meeting.

A business location survey also provides a substantive basis for any subsequent guidance for a zoning deviation - and/or environmental permit procedure for the legalization of your (proposed) business activity.