Placepoint

Shoreline management zone

The shoreline management zone (strandsonen) is the area 100 metres inland, measured horizontally and perpendicular to the shoreline of the sea, lakes and watercourses. A general building prohibition applies in the 100-metre belt along the sea. The prohibition covers buildings, structures and installations, as well as significant terrain works, including holiday homes, jetties and boathouses.

The legal basis is plan- og bygningsloven § 1-8 (the Planning and Building Act). The provision requires particular regard for the natural and cultural environment, outdoor recreation, landscape and other public interests in the shoreline management zone. Similar protection can apply along watercourses if the municipality has set a building line in the municipal master plan. The shoreline management zone is not synonymous with the 100-metre belt in every context; the rules on right of public access under friluftsloven (the Outdoor Recreation Act) apply regardless of the building prohibition.

Practice is differentiated. The Statlige planretningslinjer for differensiert forvaltning av strandsonen (national planning guidelines for differentiated management of the shoreline zone), first adopted in 2011 and tightened in 2021, divide the coast into three zones. Zone 1 covers the coast in Oslo, the former Viken and Vestfold og Telemark, where the building prohibition is applied most strictly. Zone 2 covers Agder and parts of the coast in Rogaland, Vestland, Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag, with somewhat more lenient practice. Zone 3 covers parts of Rogaland, Vestland, Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag, as well as Nordland and Troms og Finnmark, where pressure on land is lower and municipalities have more room for manoeuvre.

The municipality can still allow measures through its own building line in the municipal master plan or a zoning plan, or grant an exemption under chapter 19 of plan- og bygningsloven. The assessment must weigh the benefits of the measure against outdoor recreation, landscape and biological diversity under naturmangfoldloven (the Nature Diversity Act). Statsforvalteren (the county governor) is the appeal body and can appeal municipal exemptions that weaken national shoreline interests, before the Parliamentary Ombud may review the case.

In Placepoint, the shoreline management zone is shown as a map layer in Property, so you can see immediately whether a coastal property is affected by the building prohibition. Report: Natural values and objections places the shoreline management zone together with markagrensen (the boundary of the protected Marka areas) and protected watercourses as the three boundaries that apply independently of the plan.

How the dataset is shown on the map

The dataset is part of the map layer Nature as Shoreline management zone:

Shoreline management zone in Placepoint

From Placepoint's glossary: Shoreline management zone

More information: Lovdata: Plan- og bygningsloven § 1-8, Lovdata: Friluftsloven, Store norske leksikon: strandsone

English: The coastal zone (100-metre beach belt with statutory building prohibition, Norwegian-specific).

Common questions we come across

What is the shoreline management zone?

The shoreline management zone is the area 100 metres inland from the shoreline of the sea, lakes and watercourses. The building prohibition in the zone has its legal basis in plan- og bygningsloven and applies, as a starting point, across the whole country.

Which zones exist in shoreline policy?

In 2021, Norway was divided into three zones with different practice of the building prohibition. It is strictest along the Oslofjord, somewhat easier in parts of Agder and the west coast, and least strict along the coast in Nordland, Troms og Finnmark.

Can you build in the shoreline management zone?

You can apply for an exemption, but the threshold is high and varies by zone. The municipality must weigh outdoor recreation and natural values against the benefits of the proposed measure.

What is the shoreline zone map?

The shoreline zone map shows which areas lie within the 100-metre belt and which zone the municipality is placed in. This is important to check early for all coastal properties.

Can I see the shoreline management zone in Placepoint?

Yes. Placepoint shows the shoreline management zone as a map layer, so you can see immediately whether a property is affected by the building prohibition.