Illegal buildings classed as "technical infrastructure" could soon be allowed to stay standing under a legal loophole. A draft bill from the regional development ministry would change the Territorial Planning Act to let such structures gain "tolerated" status. The text is posted on the public consultations portal, and anyone can send comments until October 19.

Conservationist Toma Belev, a former co-chair of the Green Movement, wrote about the draft on social media. Until now the law has banned illegal construction and required it to be torn down. Under the change, owners could ask for their buildings to be declared "tolerated" — letting them keep or finish projects that are currently illegal, Belev says.

The ministry says the change is meant to legalise illegal sections of the Hemus motorway. But the text covers a whole category of buildings, not just the motorway, Belev says. Two new groups of structures are being added to the "technical infrastructure" category.

These include geotechnical works built to stop landslides, erosion and coastal wear from the sea. The retaining-wall hotel at Alepu is exactly this kind of structure, meant to hold back a landslide, Belev explains. Building work there cannot start right now because it breaches environmental rules — but under the proposed text, the site could be declared tolerated anyway.

The draft also proposes freezing ongoing cases in which buildings are being declared illegal.

At the Elenite resort, any hydro-engineering structure could be legalised this way — including the reshaping of the Kozluka river, which has already been ruled illegal and ordered removed, Belev says. It is the only structure for which the construction watchdog, DNSK, has issued a demolition order.

Building on the river's flood plain is banned, and without reshaping the river it would be impossible, Belev adds. The reshaping is what makes building next to it possible, and it also takes over part of the riverbed for construction. If the demolition order is dropped, whatever has already been built there would stay.

Belev says a stranger contacted him after visiting the area and talking to people working there. They told him the site would be finished.

Comments will be reviewed after October 19, followed by talks between ministries. The changes will then go to the Council of Ministers for a vote.