Brno considers the regional development principles illegal

Brno - Brno disagrees with the procedure for preparing the Principles of Spatial Development of the South Moravian Region. The procedure is in violation of the law, said the mayor's deputy Martin Ander (Green Party) to reporters today. According to him, the spatial planning document should address the road network in such a way that it would be possible to divert polluting transit traffic away from populated areas. However, the regional proposal does not do this and only evaluates part of the important transportation projects, believes Ander. The city will seek redress. The region led by Michal Hašek (Czech Social Democratic Party) considers the statement to be a pre-election battle ahead of the upcoming regional elections.

The South Moravian Region began public hearings on the principles in June, which will last until June 10. Comments on the proposal can be sent until June 15.

The city of Brno commissioned a legal analysis of the procedure by which the region is preparing the principles. It is supposed to indicate illegality. Therefore, the councilors of Brno approved the objections they will send to the region today. The regional office must address these objections along with others before approving the final version of the planning document. Governor Hašek has repeatedly said that he wants to approve the principles before the October regional elections.

Brno criticizes the proposal for addressing only some important transportation projects and not others, and it has only reserved land for them, with the intention of returning to them in the future. "The roads like R43 or the southwestern bypass of the Brno agglomeration are not addressed by the region and it only promises that it will provide sufficient background for them within three years. Instead of a comprehensive solution proposal for the diversion of transit traffic on bypasses outside the populated area of Brno and surrounding municipalities, the region is proceeding with a salami method and trying to impose a new highway corridor in the area of Brno-south, Tuřany to Chrlice," said Ander. According to him, this will not reduce traffic in populated areas but will actually increase it. Due to this, some mayors of surrounding municipalities or districts of Brno are also protesting against the proposal.

The city therefore demands that the region revise the proposal so that it does not contain land reserves without an environmental impact assessment, but includes all key transportation projects along with an environmental impact assessment. "Regarding the alleged illegality, we state that the official authority of the state, which is the Ministry of the Environment, has given the new proposal of principles the green light with its positive opinion on the environmental impact assessment, indicating its acceptability from an environmental perspective," states a declaration signed by Hašek and his deputies Roman Celý (KDU-ČSL), Roman Hanák (ČSSD), and councilor Antonín Tesařík (KDU-ČSL).

The region has no principles of spatial development because the originally created document was annulled in 2012 by the Supreme Administrative Court due to insufficient assessment of certain impacts. Since then, the region has been working on new principles, which are the only ones missing in the Czech Republic.