The key principles of the loi Littoral, France's coastal planning law
The loi Littoral coastal planning law regulates development in coastal communes. Three rules account for most disputes: the ban on building within the 100-metre coastal strip outside existing built-up areas, limited development in areas close to the shore, and the requirement to build contiguously with existing built-up areas and villages.
In practice, an isolated plot in the middle of the maquis scrubland, even with road access, is very unlikely to be eligible for building, whatever its size.
The PADDUC, a framework specific to Corsica
Corsica's sustainable planning and development plan identifies, among other things, strategic agricultural areas and outstanding or distinctive landscape areas. These designations are binding on municipal local development plans (PLUs) and can prevent building for the long term.
The same hamlet can therefore contain both plots that can be built on and others permanently barred from development, with no visible difference on the ground.
Checks to carry out before buying
Before making any offer on land or a property you intend to extend, always gather the documents that establish building rights. This stage takes two to three months: it must begin before signing, not afterwards.
- Project-specific planning certificate confirming the project's feasibility
- Extract from the local development plan (PLU) and zoning regulations
- Checking PADDUC zoning (strategic agricultural areas, outstanding protected areas)
- Drainage assessment and utility connections (water, electricity)
- Easements, boundary demarcation and legally secured access
What can you do with land that cannot be built on?
Land that cannot be built on retains value for its use and agricultural potential, but its price per m² is nothing like that of a building plot. Some changes to the local development plan (PLU) may reclassify a plot, but speculating on a future revision is a gamble, never a strategy.
If you already own land of this kind, a legally supportable valuation provides an objective assessment of its true value, particularly when dividing an inherited estate.