The councilors of Brno approved a new zoning plan, which will take effect in February

Brno - The new zoning plan for Brno was approved by the city councilors today. It will come into effect in February next year. 54 people voted in favor, no one was against, opposition councilor Matěj Hollan (Žít Brno) abstained. The new document, which enables the city's development and ensures the protection of selected areas, has been pursued for Brno for over 20 years and is the first since 30 years. In June 2022, councilors did not approve the completed zoning plan and had it revised again.

The new zoning plan will offer the possibility to utilize more than 100 brownfields and build homes for up to 170,000 new residents. The city's expansion, where 400,000 people currently live, is also subject to the construction of transport or technical infrastructure and civic amenities. The document will also simplify the construction of flood protection measures.

"I believe that the two and a half years we have added to the zoning plan have benefited the city. Although I was afraid in 2022 that we might not be satisfied with the new zoning plan, my fears were unfounded. The defined guidelines have been incorporated, and I think we can present a quality zoning plan to the people of Brno. It was not possible to satisfy everyone, partly due to conflicting intentions in one area, but overall the document is sound," said Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS).

The basic division of the new plan is into stabilized areas and change areas. In stabilized areas, the city does not anticipate unreasonable redevelopment of the land, and thus areas with family houses on the outskirts of the city, including greenery, should typically be protected. In change areas, the city maximally supports construction, but there is also a requirement for greenery representation. Councilor Petr Bořecký (ANO) stated that they made sure that the new zoning plan maximally protects the environment.

This was also appreciated by the councilors today. "The biggest risks we saw in the originally submitted plan are at least partially mitigated. This included insufficient protection of greenery, low requirements for areas, and addressing greenery in proposed areas. It is addressed by increasing the proportion of green areas on the natural terrain," said opposition councilor Jana Drápalová (Zelení). Greater protection of greenery was also praised by councilor Břetislav Štefan (SOCDEM). "The document is of higher quality than the one from 2022," he noted.

The opposition Pirates also supported the document, as they believe the proposal is acceptable and "will unblock the development of the city in many places." The opposition SPD also voted in favor. Councilor Jiří Kment, however, expressed concerns about whether the plan will ensure quality development for Brno. "It gives developers almost unlimited options," he believes. Opposition Hollan was the only one to abstain. "I am not sure if there have been any procedural or legal errors after 22 years of preparation," he said.

Councilors thanked Bořecký and Jan Tesárek, the director of the Office of the Architect of the City of Brno (KAM), which developed the document in cooperation with the municipal department of urban planning and development. Both previously stated that there were thousands of objections and requests regarding the zoning plan, and it is not possible to meet them all. Those who disagree with the zoning plan can apply for a change after its approval, with the city allowing the request to be verified. "We anticipate that in the first phase we will be overwhelmed with changes, and we are also prepared for lawsuits. However, we have lawyers on our team who confirm compliance with the law," stated the councilor. Tesárek added that it is not a flaw of the zoning plan that it changes. According to him, it is a property of the plan.