On 24 September 2023, significant changes that are part of a broad reform of the urban planning system in Poland came into force through amendments to the Act on Planning and Spatial Development. The new provisions on planning and spatial development were aimed at unifying and simplifying the procedures rela-ted to the preparation of local spatial development plans and increasing the trans-parency of spatial planning decision-making processes. The key change results in spatial development studies losing their validity in favour of general plans and municipal development strategies, and the freedom to issue decisions on deve-lopment conditions being heavily restricted to stop the process of sprawl. Never-theless, there are concerns and questions about the impact of these changes on the quality of spatial planning, sustainable development and the protection of cultural values and the environment. On the other hand, a new spatial planning act such as the municipal general plan raises concerns about the strict deadline for its enactment closely linked to the Polish National Recovery Plan. Will the new local acts do a sufficient job in an area as important as historic preservation? In the following section, an analysis of existing as well as new planning docu-ments is carried out with particular emphasis on the protection of immovable and archaeological monuments.