Government legislation ministry clarifies access rules for sports facilities

The government legislation ministry said that revenue facilities at urban planning sports venues must comply with a ban on preferential access when a previously reviewed project seeks approval to amend its implementation plan.

The revised standards, effective April 3, 2025, bar convenience facilities from being reserved exclusively or offered to particular people on terms more favorable than those for general users. With no transitional measures, the standard in force when an amended plan is approved applies even if committee review occurred before the revision. The ministry said the restriction codified existing principles for urban planning facility projects, which serve public needs and carry land expropriation powers. It said exclusive or preferential use conflicts with sports facilities' role in promoting public health and leisure.

Under former regulations, urban planning committees could authorize revenue facilities at sports venues, beyond otherwise permitted convenience facilities, if the facilities supported financing needed for their management. The ministry said revenue facilities improve operating revenue structures, support installation and operation, and encourage private investment. It concluded that they are convenience facilities, which under the rules promote users' convenience and use, rather than a separate category of urban planning facility.

Under the National Land Planning and Utilization Act, an amended implementation plan requires approval under the same process as the original plan. The ministry's interpretations provide administrative agencies with uniform legal guidance but do not carry the binding force of a final court judgment.