The Archdiocese cannot build on the parish garden on Růžová Street

Prague - The Archdiocese of Prague cannot currently build on the land on Růžová Street in Prague 1, which has been a garden since the Middle Ages. The archdiocese wanted to construct an apartment building on the land near Jindřišská Street and the local parish. However, the permission granted by Prague's heritage protectors was overturned by a decision from the Ministry of Culture. According to this decision, the building cannot be constructed in the proposed form due to the interests of heritage preservation, and the building authority will reject the application for site placement in further proceedings. This is stated in the decision of the Prague City Hall from January of this year, which cancels the zoning decision for the construction.

"The text of the City Hall's decision implies that the building authority of Prague 1 will reject the application. We can reject the application after we receive notification from the appellate authority that the decision to cancel the zoning decision is final," said Martin Šebesta from the press department of Prague 1 to ČTK. The Archdiocese of Prague was unable to be reached for a statement by ČTK. However, according to unofficial information, it is considering taking legal action.

The apartment building, according to the project by the Šafr Hájek Architects studio, received a positive opinion from the City Hall's heritage protectors and the zoning decision as early as 2016; the National Heritage Institute disagreed with the construction. Several parties involved in the proceedings, including the Club for Old Prague, appealed. They primarily disagreed with the building of the parcel, which has never been built on and which, according to the appellants, is a historical garden. In the zoning plan, the area of the garden is designated as heritage green space intended for protection. The Club for Old Prague states that a relic from the medieval period has been preserved in Růžová Street from the time of the parceling of the area around 1396.

As part of the appeal, the Ministry of Culture (MK) addressed the permits, which revised the binding opinion of the City Hall's heritage protectors by stating that the building proposal is unacceptable from the perspective of heritage preservation. "The ministry found that the heritage protection authority did not ascertain the complete factual situation when issuing the binding opinion and did not adhere to the principles of the Heritage Act," states the decision of the City Hall from January 3.

According to the ministry, the construction would be a serious intervention in the affected heritage-protected area and would jeopardize its values. The heritage protection authority, according to MK, incorrectly assessed the significant value of the uniquely preserved medieval urban situation that has no equivalent in the New Town area, the value of which lies in the continuous existence of an undeveloped area within a medieval layout from the 14th century, used as a space of natural character.

The archdiocese then repeatedly requested the suspension of the appeal proceedings; the City Hall always complied, and the proceedings were last suspended until December 31, 2018. The archdiocese did not submit another request, and according to MK, all deadlines for possible review of its decision have already expired. The City Hall, as the appellate authority for heritage protection, thus states that the construction in the proposed form cannot occur, and the assessment of further appeal objections is irrelevant.