Legal context

In 2003 the Ghent Spatial Structure Plan was approved by the competent minister.

The Flanders X-Po Site Master Plan which was drawn up in order to delineate the development of the new city district offers a solid framework for the coming years and sufficient flexibility to be able to adequately respond to the constantly developing world.

The ambitions are expressed as follows:

• To develop the site into an international concentration of leisure, retail, exhibition and working in a high-quality and stimulating "work and enjoyment" environment.
• Ensure that no existing functions are drawn away from the city centre.
• Retail functions strive for a supra-local impact and are complementary to the city centre.

The Spatial Implementation Plan SDW-5 Trade Fair, definitively established by the Municipal Council of the City of Ghent in its session of 29 January 2007 and approved by the Permanent Deputation on 8 March 2007, provides, along with space for extension of the exhibition halls (40,000 m²), for retail trade (69,000 m²), for recreation (40,000 m²) and for living (short type 65,000 m² and long type 65,000 m²), a programme of 155,000 m² for offices and 150,000 m² for office-like facilities.