The Danish government is proposing new legislation to foster development in rural areas in the country.
Municipalities in remote areas of Denmark will have more freedom to promote growth.
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Faster, freer and less bureaucratic
The proposal includes initiatives for the faster erection of cell towers and less bureaucracy when companies using abandoned farm buildings want to expand.
Today, companies have to have at least five employees if they wish to expand without having to apply for a rural zone permit. This rule will now be abolished.
“It is important that there is growth and development across Denmark, including remote areas. Therefore we want to make it easier to establish and expand business so we can create new jobs,” stated Kirsten Brosbøl, the environment minister.
“We listened to what municipalities want, and it is reflected in the proposal that contains very specific initiatives to support development in the peripheries and gives provincial towns better opportunities for growth.”
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Protecting nature, revitalising provincial towns
The rural affairs minister, Carsten Hansen, contended that the proposal “maintains a good protection of Denmark’s most important raw material: nature”.
Included in the government’s package are incentives supporting shopping opportunities in provincial towns.
“It is crucial we maintain trade in towns if they should continue to be good and vibrant places to live. People demand larger stores, and thanks to this initiative, town centres can be revitalised,” Brosbøl noted.
