The planned football stadium divided the residents of Ostrava-Svinov

Ostrava - The planned construction of a new football stadium for 30,000 spectators in Ostrava-Svinov has divided the residents of the district into two camps. While some welcome it, others are fundamentally against it. A few days ago, the district council even refused to support the proposal for a change in the zoning plan, which is necessary for the construction of the stadium at an estimated cost of 1.5 billion crowns. This was stated by the mayor of the district, Hana Hauptová (ČSSD), to ČTK. However, the final decision on the change in the zoning plan will be made by the Ostrava councilors, not the district councilors.
    Hauptová added that the district is primarily dissatisfied with the fact that such a significant intervention in the life of this district has not been consulted with the district in advance. "Everyone has concerns about such an unknown situation. Svinov is a traffic crossroads, so all negative phenomena manifest there," says Hauptová.
    The district therefore expects that if the city wants to build a football stadium, it will create conditions in transportation, for example, that do not threaten the center of the district. The mayor added that many residents are also worried about the behavior of football fans. "I don't like it, it will be noisy, I live here. It will be terrible, there are already so many cars here," stated one of the residents of Svinov.
    According to Deputy Mayor Zdeněk Trejbal (ČSSD), the land in Svinov is the best that the city has. The construction of the stadium would also not complicate land purchases. Moreover, it has the best accessibility in terms of transportation, as it is not only close to the train station but also near public transport.
    "The city functions as a whole. In some city districts, there are Vítkovice as a factory, in some city districts, there is a landfill, and in some city districts, there must be a stadium. This is really the best land that Ostrava currently has," says Trejbal.
    The new football stadium will become the home ground of the first league Baník Ostrava. Construction is expected to begin in 2010 or 2011. The existing stadium at Bazaly no longer meets the strict UEFA conditions, and the football club has been receiving exemptions for its matches in European competitions.