North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Municipal Affairs, Ina Scharrenbach, has called on the federal government to grant local authorities greater powers in addressing derelict and neglected properties.
Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” Minister Scharrenbach emphasized the importance of property rights while arguing that a municipal right of first refusal would significantly aid in tackling the issue of so-called “scrap properties”. Current legislation, she noted, restricts local governments’ ability to acquire properties, even in situations involving shared ownership schemes.
She cited the protracted 30-year process for the city of Gladbeck to acquire and demolish the building associated with the Gladbeck hostage crisis as a prime example of the challenges municipalities face. Similarly, the iconic “White Giant” structures in Duisburg are fragmented into individual ownership, hindering efforts for comprehensive redevelopment.
Minister Scharrenbach expressed concern that the current legal framework inadvertently enables misuse of the system and urged the federal government to recognize the difficulties faced by cities and municipalities, emphasizing the need for prompt action.