The informal group of citizens “Let’s stop illegal changes to the Spatial Plan in Mostar” warned about, as they said, illegal changes to the Spatial Plan of the City of Mostar, which affect the quality of life of the residents of numerous suburban settlements in Mostar.
At the press conference, representatives of the localities of Gubavica, Pijesci, Miljkovići, Kozice, Međine, Planinica and Prigrađani gathered, who introduced the journalists to the story of the construction of solar plants for the production of electricity in the vicinity of Mostar.
According to Džemal Kodra, the basis for issuing concessions for solar plants is the Spatial Plan of the City of Mostar from 2012, the amendments of which were adopted by the City Council of Mostar in January 2022.
“The basic problem is that in 2012, as well as in 2022, the local community was not consulted during the adoption of the Spatial Plan and its amendments,” said Kodro.
He added that the conversion of land from forest or agricultural to construction land is a serious violation of the Law on the Temporary Prohibition of the Management of State Property, which was passed by the High Representative in 2005.
More than half of the settlement is under panels
Enes Rahimić, representative of the residents of the villages of Gubavica and Pijesci, warned that the Spatial Plan of the City of Mostar designated more than half of the area of the mentioned settlements as locations for the construction of solar and wind power plants.
“So, the plan is to turn these two settlements into huge power plants. What will happen to us locals? How will we live in a sea of panels? We are asking for a simple thing, the protection of agricultural land, regardless of ownership. That the agricultural land remains agricultural as the law requires. And we are not against investments and construction of power plants, we even support that idea as much as possible, but that it be carried out within legal frameworks with maximum protection of the human and civil rights of the majority, and not in an illegal way for the purpose of enriching individuals,” Rahimić said.
A megalomaniacal operation
Tomislav Džidić, the representative of the land owners in Planina, pointed out that the locals who have property in Planina were probably the last to know about this “megalomaniac operation”.
“Flying for profit and trying to satisfy the wishes of investors, they fenced off our private properties with plots on which the construction of electric power facilities is planned, so that we no longer have free access to them. Also, there is a water source on the Planinica plateau, so it is not clear to us how the cantonal Ministry of the Environment even granted environmental permits,” said Džidić.
Mario Ćosić, representative of the residents of Miljković and Kozic, pointed out that the City of Mostar has so far given consent for the construction of solar panels on about 1,500 dulums in the local community of Miljkovići to two investors, while the residents have previously submitted requests for the allocation of state land for the construction of homes. were getting rejected.
“In the villages of the local community of Miljković live mostly young families. The construction of power plants in the areas planned by the illegal spatial plan would lead to the emigration of those families. We are convinced that the construction of solar plants on the hills above our houses drastically threatens our living space, quality of life, safety, as well as existence, considering the animal husbandry we do. At the meetings held in the local community of Miljkovići, it was decided that we will fight against the construction of solar plants on the hills above our homes, but we also emphasize that we are not against investments, the construction of solar and wind power plants, but we want changes to be made to the Spatial Plan, which will relocate the existing plants to locations as far as possible from populated areas. And of course, that the procedure should be transparent and public in the true sense of the word,” said Ćosić.
The problem of storm water
Armin Dubljević from the settlement of Međine believes that the construction of power plants will significantly affect the living environment of the locals.
“We are convinced that the construction of solar plants on the hills above our houses will drastically threaten our living space, quality of life, safety, as well as existence, considering the situation in which we currently find ourselves. The construction of buildings is planned on a large slope above the village, the terrain is leveled, so now we also have the problem of a large amount of rainwater that creates large torrents carrying everything in front of them and which recently caused us great damage. For stormwater, which has a very large impact on the settlement, no study or project has been carried out to solve the mentioned problem,” Dubljević emphasized, Fena writes.
