Last updated: September 2026

Local Planning and Building Committee

In short: The local planning and building committee is the municipal body that issues building permits, hears plans within its authority, collects betterment levies and enforces building laws.

In short

When you want to build, extend or rezone on a local scale, you go to the local committee. It issues the building permit and charges the betterment levy.

The professional explanation

The committee operates under the Planning and Building Law; in many municipalities (including Hod Hasharon, Kfar Saba, Ra'anana and Herzliya) the city council serves as the local committee, with a sub-committee and the city engineer.

Its powers include building permits and reliefs, plans within local authority (e.g. building-line changes, reparcelation without rezoning, limited added rights), enforcement, and compensation claims under section 197.

The committee issues permit information files and manages building licensing through the national online licensing system.

Example from the field

A Hod Hasharon homeowner wishing to add a housing unit went to the local committee: information file, permit application, relief publication to neighbours, and approval conditional on paying the betterment levy.

Frequently asked questions

Local vs. district committee - what is the difference?

The local committee handles permits and limited local plans; the district committee approves substantive plans such as rezoning and local outline plans, and hears appeals on local decisions.

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