Decision 38 COM 8B.54

Examination of minor boundary modifications : Historic Centre of Warsaw (Poland)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-14/38.COM/8B.Add, and WHC-14/38.COM/INF.8B1.Add,
2. Approves the proposed buffer zone for the Historic Centre of Warsaw, Poland;
3. Recommends that as a matter of urgency the whole area of the proposed buffer zone should be covered with spatial development plans aimed at ensuring no adverse impact of new development on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property;
4. Also recommends that the following requirements should be incorporated in all development plans covering the proposed buffer zone:
   1. The height of new buildings (or additional volumes at or on existing buildings) should be limited. Scale, materials, techniques and colours should be defined;
   2. For existing buildings that are to be renovated, permitted materials, techniques and colours should be defined;
   3. For existing and new buildings, possible measures for energy-saving and energy-production on the building should be defined, and respectively limited;
   4. For new and renovated buildings the type of use should be defined;
   5. Views to and from the World Heritage property should be carefully studied and significant views should be left open;
   6. The fact that the area of a development plan is part of the buffer zone should be mentioned in the prescriptions of each plan, and its delimitation shown in the plan;
   7. Within the buffer zone, the position of the historic preservation officer should be strengthened;
   8. Already existing development plans should be modified to fulfil the above-mentioned requirements.
5. Requests that the State Party submit, by 1 February 2016, a report to the World Heritage Centre on progress made in the implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations for examination by the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS.