How does the aesthetic review work?

How does the process work?

The aesthetic review is part of the procedure for an [environmental permit](/omgevingsvergunning/). Your permit application goes via the Omgevingsloket to the municipality. The municipality then submits the building plan to the advisory committee on environmental quality. The committee typically meets once a month. After the meeting it issues a written recommendation, and the municipality almost always follows that recommendation in its decision.

The advice can have three outcomes. First, approval: the plan meets the reasonable requirements of the aesthetic review and the permit can proceed to be granted. Second, conditional approval: minor adjustments are needed, such as a different roof tile colour or a different facade colour. Third, rejection: the plan does not fit the surroundings and must be thoroughly revised. A rejection costs you weeks of delay and additional design time. This is why good preparation pays off.

Since the Environment Act, the aesthetic review rules are no longer contained in a separate aesthetic review policy but in the municipality's environment plan. Existing aesthetic review policies have been carried over as policy rules under the temporary environment plan. Many municipalities still use those policies as a practical assessment framework. The committee bases its advice on the environmental vision, the environment plan and the policy rules on the appearance of buildings.

**Pre-consultation as a smart first step.** At most municipalities you can submit a sketch design for informal advice before the formal application, also known as a concept application or preliminary inquiry. The committee or a council adviser reviews it at an early stage. You find out whether the direction is right before the final drawings are completed. This saves costs if something still needs to be adjusted. Tekenpunt always recommends going through this process first when in doubt.

What does the committee assess?

The advisory committee on environmental quality looks at a number of fixed aspects. Below you can read what they assess exactly and what that means in practice for your design.

**Design and proportions.** Does the layout of the building connect with the scale and rhythm of its surroundings? A modern cube among 1930s terraced houses requires careful justification. The committee looks at the height, the width, the roof form and the way windows and doors are placed in the facade. An extension that follows the same roof direction as the main building generally scores better than a flat roof in a street of pitched roofs.

**Use of materials and detailing.** Brick, timber, metal, render, composite panels: every material creates a different appearance. The committee assesses whether the choice of materials logically connects with what is common in the street or neighbourhood. This need not be a slavish copy of the neighbours, but it must engage in dialogue with the surroundings. A high quality of finish and detailing, such as neat gutter connections and careful window frame details, counts positively.

**Colour.** Bright or strongly contrasting colours that deviate from the surroundings are quickly rejected in residential areas. Neutral and earthy tones pass more often. In more modern neighbourhoods or in transformation areas there is sometimes more scope for colour accents, but this depends strongly on local policy rules.

**Spatial coherence.** Does the plan enhance the quality of the street or the ensemble, or does it disrupt it? The committee looks at the relationship between the building and the public space: building lines, kerb edges, green structure and the visual continuity of the facade.

**Historical context and heritage values.** Is your property in a protected urban or village conservation area, or is it a [listed building](/monument/)? Then the historical value carries more weight and the assessment is stricter. But even outside protected areas, the historical character of a neighbourhood can play a role if it has been recorded in the policy rules.

**Sustainability and innovation.** Some municipalities have included criteria for sustainable materials or energy solutions such as solar panels and green facades. This varies considerably between municipalities. Ask whether there is specific policy if sustainability is part of your design.

Aesthetic-review-free areas: the review does not apply everywhere

Not every building plan needs to go before the advisory committee. Municipalities can designate areas or categories of structures as aesthetic-review-free in their environment plan. In such zones the municipality only looks at the technical requirements and the rules of the environment plan, not at the appearance.

Examples of situations that are more often aesthetic-review-free:

- Business parks and industrial estates that the municipality has deliberately designated as exempt from aesthetic review. - Certain types of permit-free structures that comply with the statutory dimensions, such as a garden shed or a small outbuilding behind the dwelling. - Neighbourhoods or areas where the municipality has deliberately chosen not to apply aesthetic review rules.

For permit-free structures too, you must check before construction whether you are genuinely permit-free. The rules for this are set out in the Building Decree (Bbl). A structure can be permit-free and yet still subject to aesthetic review if a permit must nonetheless be applied for.

Check with your municipality whether your address is in an aesthetic-review-free area. You can do this via the Omgevingsloket or via the municipal environment plan viewer. It saves you a step in the permit process. The [construction drawing](/bouwtekening/) is of course still needed for the technical assessment.

Protected townscapes and listed monuments: stricter rules

Is your property in a protected townscape or village scene, or is it a nationally or municipally listed building? If so, additional requirements apply on top of the standard aesthetic review. This is the part of the assessment where the committee advises most rigorously and where deviations are least accepted.

**Protected townscape or village conservation area.** The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) designates areas as protected townscapes on account of their historical or urban-planning value. Within such an area, additional rules apply to changes to facades, roofs and other visible elements. Think of maintaining the original facade layout, roof forms and use of materials. Even minor interventions, such as replacing timber window frames with PVC, may be refused.

**National listed monuments.** For a national listed monument an environmental permit is required for almost every alteration, including internal works. The environmental quality advisory committee must be legally consulted for national listed monuments. The advice is binding in the sense that a negative opinion carries significant weight in the permit decision.

**Municipal monuments.** Municipal monuments are subject to local rules, which differ per municipality. The protection is generally less strict than for national monuments, but an aesthetic review remains mandatory.

**Practical implication.** If you are working on a listed building or in a protected area, allow more time for the process. A pre-consultation with the committee is almost always advisable here. Tekenpunt has experience with drawings for listed buildings and guides you in aligning with the committee's requirements. Read more on the page about [renovating listed buildings](/monument/).

Differences per municipality: always do local research

The aesthetic review is decentralised in the Netherlands. This means that the rules, the procedures and the level of strictness vary considerably from municipality to municipality. What passes the review without issue in one city may be rejected in a neighbouring municipality. Below are the most important variables.

**Policy level.** Some municipalities have detailed policy rules per neighbourhood or even per street. Other municipalities apply broad, more general criteria that leave more room for interpretation. The more detailed the rules, the more predictable the outcome.

**Aesthetic review policy vs. environment plan.** Following the introduction of the Environment Act, municipalities are in the process of integrating their aesthetic review policy into the environment plan. Until that integration is complete, the existing aesthetic review policy applies as a policy rule under the temporary environment plan. In practice, the committee in many municipalities therefore still works with the familiar aesthetic review policy as its guide.

**Committee composition and meeting frequency.** One municipality has a committee that meets weekly; another meets monthly. The background of committee members also varies: one committee consists of architects and urban planners, another has a stronger focus on heritage. This colours the assessment.

**Pre-application consultation.** Large municipalities often have a counter for concept applications where you can obtain informal advice relatively quickly. Smaller municipalities sometimes refer you directly to the formal procedure.

**What this means for you.** When starting a building project, always read the applicable policy rules for your specific address first. Tekenpunt does this as standard for every application: we look up the municipality-specific rules, check the design against them, and coordinate when it makes sense to request a pre-consultation.

Want to know more about the legal framework? The [Informatiepunt Leefomgeving (iplo.nl)](https://iplo.nl) is the government knowledge centre on the Environment and Planning Act and aesthetics review.

How do you pass the aesthetic review in one go?

A rejected plan costs weeks of delay and redesign. That is frustrating and expensive. With the right preparation it is largely avoidable.

**Read the applicable policy rules for your address.** Every municipality publishes the criteria against which your plan will be assessed, often in an aesthetic review policy or as part of the environment plan. At Tekenpunt we always start by looking up the applicable rules for your specific address, including any area-specific criteria.

**Request a pre-consultation before the formal application.** At most municipalities you can submit a sketch design for informal advice. You will find out early on whether the direction is right. This saves costs if something still needs to be adjusted and prevents surprises at the official committee meeting.

**Connect with the surroundings.** Look at which materials and colours dominate in the street. A plan that clearly aligns with the existing appearance has the best chance of a positive opinion. This is not necessarily dull or monotonous: aligning does not mean copying, but entering into a dialogue with the context.

**Justify deliberate deviations.** A plan that deliberately deviates from its surroundings does not automatically have to be rejected, but must be well substantiated. An explanation of why the deviation strengthens rather than disrupts the surroundings makes the difference. A clear explanatory note with the application helps the committee form its opinion.

**Submit complete and clear drawings.** The committee assesses on the basis of what you provide. Incomplete drawings or unclear material descriptions lead to questions and delays. Make sure you have clear elevation drawings with material and colour descriptions, a site sketch showing the relationship to the surroundings and an exterior perspective if the intervention calls for it.

**Work with an experienced drawing firm.** Tekenpunt guides building plans through dozens of municipalities and is familiar with local standards. We know what information each committee expects and how to present a design effectively. As a result, approximately 90% of our applications pass the aesthetic review in a single round. Also see our [construction drawing](/bouwtekening/) page for exactly what we produce for you and what information the committee needs.

More on this subject