The appeal against the relocated station in Brno will be resolved by the South Bohemia Region

Brno - The appeal against the issuance of the zoning decision for the construction of the Brno train station in the relocated position, specifically at the site of the current freight station, will be handled by the South Bohemian Region Office due to the bias. This was decided by the Ministry of Regional Development at the beginning of March. The organization Children of the Earth thus succeeded with a demand it articulated three years ago, stated the chairman of Children of the Earth, Miroslav Patrik, in a press release.

"We are glad that the appeal will no longer be decided by the Brno city council, especially since Roman Onderka from the ČSSD and Robert Kotzian from the ODS took charge of Brno for four years in 2010. Brno is one of the two investors in the modernization of the railway hub," stated Patrik, who has been involved in the modernization process of the Brno railway hub since June 2001 and is now also a member of the preparatory committee for the 2016 referendum.

In October 2013, Children of the Earth, the Stará Osada - Židenice association, and one individual filed an appeal against the issuance of the zoning decision citing the bias of former mayor Onderka and all the officials of the city council. A fourth appeal was submitted by another private company. The appeals have not yet been decided because the issue of systematic bias was being addressed. "In the past, we repeatedly requested that the city council not decide on the appeal, but the requests were rejected," Patrik said.

Only the new mayor Petr Vokřál (ANO) pointed out to the director of the South Moravian Regional Office, Věra Vojáčková, that he felt biased. Vojáčková communicated the same to the ministry last February. The zoning procedure for the relocated station has been ongoing for more than ten years.

Children of the Earth, along with other organizations or associations, are fighting against the relocation of the Brno station one kilometer south, behind the Zvonařka bus station. They are striving for the station to remain close to the historical center within walking distance. Until 2014, all previous city administrations had actually wanted to relocate the station. Now, the coalition is made up of parties that either support the station in the center or have no clear opinion. An important aspect for the next steps of the city and the Ministry of Transport will be the October referendum, which will take place with the regional elections. If at least 35 percent of voters participate, the voting results will be binding. At the same time, a feasibility study is being developed, comparing both variants of modernization.