Urban Planning Compatibility Report (ICU)

What the Urban Planning Compatibility Report (ICU) is

The Urban Planning Compatibility Report (Informe de Compatibilidad Urbanística, or ICU) is a document issued by the town council that verifies whether a planned use or activity is compatible with current municipal urban planning, prior to processing environmental authorisation or other permits. In many Spanish regions, obtaining it is a necessary prerequisite before starting the Integrated Environmental Authorisation procedure, the Urban Planning Qualification, or other activity authorisation procedures.

It is a relatively quick document to process, but obtaining it at the right time is critical to avoid delaying the project's main authorisation procedure.

When it is needed

The ICU is required in the following main cases:

• As a prerequisite for the Integrated Environmental Authorisation in several Spanish regions.
• As a requirement to start the Urban Planning Qualification process in Castilla-La Mancha.
• For the installation of certain industrial, agricultural or energy activities that require verifying compatibility with planning before applying for the activity licence.

How it is obtained

The process is straightforward but must be managed with enough lead time:

1. Application to the town council, describing the planned use, location and affected surface area.
2. Verification by municipal technical services of the use's compatibility with the land's planning classification and qualification under current planning.
3. Issuance of the report, with a favourable or unfavourable outcome and, where applicable, compatibility conditions.

Common mistakes

• Not applying for the ICU with enough lead time, which can delay the start of the main authorisation procedure.
• Applying for the ICU without having first checked municipal planning, which can lead to foreseeable unfavourable reports that could have been anticipated.
• Not updating the ICU when the project's location or characteristics change after it has been obtained.

Why choose Ideas Medioambientales

We manage the process of obtaining the Urban Planning Compatibility Report as an integral part of the environmental and planning process for renewable energy and infrastructure projects, coordinating it with the timelines of the main procedure to avoid bottlenecks.

Tell us about the type of project and the municipality, and we'll advise you on whether you need an ICU and at what stage of the process you should apply for it.