Building land today, farmland tomorrow? Before February 2028, councils are redrawing their zones.
A plot that is buildable today will not necessarily be buildable tomorrow. With the “zero net land take” target (ZAN), towns must sharply reduce the areas open to building, and their local plans must be updated before 22 February 2028. For a landowner, the timetable matters.
Zero net land take in two sentences
The 2021 Climate and Resilience Act sets a target: halve, between 2021 and 2031, the consumption of natural, agricultural and forest land compared with the previous decade, then reach “zero net land take” by 2050. This target cascades down: the region sets it in its regional plan, the territorial coherence scheme (SCoT) shares it out between the intermunicipal authorities, and the local plan (PLU) or the municipal map translates it plot by plot.
Each town thus has an allowance of hectares it may consume by 2031, with a guaranteed minimum of one hectare for towns covered by a planning document. In many rural and peri-urban towns, this allowance is far smaller than the building zones listed in the current local plan.
Key dates
The penalty is severe: if the local plan has not included the target in time, no planning authorisation can be granted in its future development zones, the “AU” zones, until it is updated. For a municipal map, it is the building sectors that are blocked.
A plot that loses its building status loses most of its value.
What it changes for your land
To stay within the allowance, the town has to choose. Plots located in urban zones, already connected to utilities, among existing houses, generally remain buildable: building within the existing fabric does not consume natural land in the sense of the ZAN. The most exposed plots are those in future development zones, on the edge of a village, on agricultural parcels or at the fringe of a hamlet. During the revision, some of these zones may be reclassified as agricultural or natural zones.
A plot that loses its building status loses most of its value: it is then worth no more than the price of farmland or a garden. Reclassification does not, in principle, give rise to any compensation.
Worked example: the same plot before and after the revision
Fictitious case. A 1,500 m² plot in a future development zone, on the edge of a village.
| Value as building land (€60 per m²) | €90,000 |
| Value if reclassified as an agricultural zone (€0.60 per m²) | €900 |
| Loss in the event of reclassification | about €89,000 |
Prices vary widely from one town to another: check actual sales in your area in the public DVF database.
The announced reform has not been passed
In March 2025, the Senate adopted the so-called “TRACE” bill, which would relax the ZAN: removal of the 2031 numerical target, new exceptions, longer deadlines for planning documents. As of 22 October 2026, it is still awaiting examination by the National Assembly. In spring 2026, relaxations slipped into the law on simplifying economic life were struck down by the Constitutional Council on 21 May, as unrelated to the text.
Do not bet on a relaxation. As long as no text is adopted, the 22 February 2028 deadline applies, and many towns have already started revising their local plan.
How to protect the value of your land
- Read the local plan in force on the Géoportail de l'urbanisme: zone, regulations, development guidelines. Our article reading the local plan in 6 steps guides you.
- Ask at the town hall: has a revision been ordered? Has the draft already been presented? Is a public inquiry planned?
- Apply for an operational planning certificate. It freezes the rules for 18 months, even if the local plan changes. The town may, however, defer its decision if your project would compromise the future plan.
- Take part in the public inquiry if your plot is under threat: that is the time to put forward your observations.
- Sell or divide while the rules allow it, with a prior declaration or a development permit filed in time: see dividing your land to sell it.
On the tax side, the sale of land that has become buildable may be subject, in addition to capital gains tax, to a national tax and sometimes a municipal tax on the sale of bare land made buildable. Have the notary calculate it before signing.
Our approach
We study land that owners are struggling to make the most of: large plots, future development zones, divisible land. We check the local plan, the revision under way and the constraints of the area, then tell you what your land is worth and how to sell it before the rules change. See our land page or tell us about your land.
Frequently asked questions
Can my buildable land become unbuildable?
Yes. When revising the local plan, the town can reclassify a future development zone as an agricultural or natural zone to meet the ZAN target, in principle without compensation.
What happens if my local plan is not updated by 22 February 2028?
No planning authorisation can be granted in the local plan's future development zones, or in the building sectors of a municipal map, until it is updated.
Has the TRACE bill abolished the ZAN?
No. Adopted by the Senate in March 2025, it had not been examined by the National Assembly as of 22 October 2026. The current rules apply.
Does a planning certificate protect my land?
An operational planning certificate freezes the rules for 18 months. A deferred decision remains possible if the project would compromise the future local plan.
Is land in an urban zone affected?
Much less. Building in an already urbanised zone does not consume natural land in the sense of the ZAN, but the local plan's regulations may change during the revision.
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