NSS canceled the change of the zoning plan for Prague, concerning the airport and the bypass

Brno / Prague - The Supreme Administrative Court (NSS) annulled today one of the approved changes to Prague’s zoning plan, which concerns the expansion of Václav Havel Airport and the completion of the northern section of the city's bypass. This was confirmed to ČTK by a court employee. According to the court, there are deficiencies in the change to the zoning plan that prevented the assessment of the environmental impact of the planned constructions. Until the deficiencies are resolved, it is not possible to issue a zoning decision for the new runway. According to the NSS, the decision must also be considered in the assessment of appeals against the zoning decision for the completion of the Prague Ring Road between Ruzyně and Březiněves.
    The change to the zoning plan was approved by the city council in June this year, and its annulment was proposed by the district of Prague-Suchdol and three landowners affected by the construction of the road circuit. The court has annulled the change to the zoning plan regarding the runway for the second time, having first ruled in July 2006. "The deficiencies pointed out back then were not resolved in the new change to the zoning plan either,” stated Daniela Zemanová, a judge of the Supreme Administrative Court, to ČTK.
    The court reproached the Prague magistrate for incorrectly defining the changes, resulting in the terms not reflecting the actual content. “Citizens and the affected authorities, therefore, did not know exactly what the proposed change to the zoning plan concerned,” noted the judge. Because of this, the intended constructions were allegedly not assessed in terms of their environmental impact.
    According to the mayor of Prague-Suchdol, Petr Hejl, who has long fought against both projects, the court's decision will delay both planned projects by years. However, the mayor of Prague 6, Tomáš Chalupa, considers any delay in the completion of the city bypass to be catastrophic. “This is extremely bad news for all reasonably thinking citizens, not just in our Prague 6. Any postponement of the completion of the Prague bypass is an intolerable and irresponsible gamble with the quality of life and the environment for hundreds of thousands of city residents,” Chalupa told ČTK.
    Jiří Wolf, spokesperson for the Prague magistrate, refrained from commenting on the court's decision, stating that the capital was represented in the proceedings by a private law firm and the city does not yet have the decision available. Councilor Martin Langmajer said at today’s council meeting that the city would have legal expertise drafted to assess what the decision would mean for the city.
    The expansion of Václav Havel Airport and the completion of the bypass are important for the development of transport in the capital city. Without a new runway, Prague's airport could hardly compete with major airports in neighboring countries such as Vienna, Berlin, or Munich. Prague Airport wanted to open it in 2013.
    The northern part of the Prague bypass is intended to facilitate travel for drivers, but disputes regarding its route are ongoing in Prague. The annulled change to the zoning plan featured the southern variant, which has met opposition from the municipalities in Suchdol and Dolní Chabry and several civic associations. Conversely, it is considered the only possible option by the capital, the transport ministry, and the municipalities of Prague 6, 7, 8, and 13, along with several other associations.
    The appeals from opponents of the issued zoning decision for the construction of the bypass will be resolved by the Ministry for Regional Development.