The court annulled the decision regarding the construction of a new railway hub in Brno

Brno - The Brno Regional Court today annulled the zoning decision for the planned construction of a railway hub in Brno. The court's spokesperson Miroslava Sedláčková informed ČTK. The start of the project, which is estimated to cost around 20 billion crowns and includes the construction of a train station among other things, is likely to be postponed. The city must now issue a new decision for the construction. According to Deputy Mayor Martin Ander (Green Party), it will take at least six months for the new decision, but this does not necessarily jeopardize the start date of the construction.
    "The impacts are hard to estimate right now since we do not yet know the arguments or the extent of the court's decision. If it concerns the EIA decision and the impact of the construction on the environment, it could mean a delay of several years. If the court annulled the zoning decision for other reasons, then perhaps less, but at least around six months," Ander told ČTK.
    However, according to him, the necessity of issuing a new zoning decision does not necessarily jeopardize the start of construction. "Currently, the documentation for the building permit is still being processed, which is expected to be completed by the end of January 2010. Therefore, the start could very well not be delayed," added the deputy mayor.
    The reconstruction of the railway hub in Brno is the most extensive construction project in the history of the South Moravian Region. It includes the construction of a new main train station, which is to be located about 800 meters south of the current station in the historic center of the city, the construction of a freight station, and an overall modernization of the railway line through Brno.
    A group of citizens contested the zoning decision for the project in court. The court has now upheld their complaint, annulling the city's decision. According to the judges, the city hall harmed the rights of the individuals who filed the lawsuit during the zoning process. "The court is fully aware of the significance of the planned construction, as well as its extent and the impact of its location in the given area," said Sedláčková.
    According to Ander, the annulment of the zoning decision may actually help to implement the so-called city rapid tram line into the railway hub reconstruction project. This has united previously irreconcilable projects - the relocation of the train station and its reconstruction in the existing location in the city center. Although the new train station will be built about a kilometer south of the current one, it will be connected to it by the rapid tram line. Regional train connections are thus expected to continue stopping in the city center, five minutes' walk from the central Liberty Square.
    Last month, the city decided to commission a new study for 1.9 million crowns, in which engineers will attempt to map the rapid tram line onto the city of Brno. This study will serve in the future as the basis for the documentation for the zoning process, building permits, and for assessing the environmental impact of the construction.
    The reconstruction of the Brno railway, which relates to the relocation of the train station and the construction of the rapid tram line, is one of the most discussed construction projects in Brno in the last decade. The investment is expected to amount to 20 billion crowns and is to be realized with the contribution of European funds. Construction of the freight station began this year, which would occur regardless of the location of the train station.