In the past, anyone who wanted to start a company that worked with hazardous substances was issued with a permit without the municipality investigating which other companies were located in the vicinity. That meant that it was unable to determine whether it was in fact responsible to issue a permit.
Fortunately that has changed, also with respect to the transport routes of hazardous substances. If regular consignments of hazardous substances (LPG, chlorine or ammonia) are transported by water, rail or road, it is prohibited to build any new homes or businesses in the vicinity. The reverse is also true: no new motorways are built near to existing housing. Such rules ensure that spatial planning, safety and transport are closely interconnected.
For more information about this legislation, go to