Lázně Bělohrad Wants to Build Ten Houses Near Forest Park — Residents Sign Petition in Protest

Lázně Bělohrad, the company that runs the spa resort of the same name in Czechia, is considering building ten family houses next to the Bělohradská bažantnice forest park. The homes are meant to house doctors, staff and management of the spa. More than 120 people have already signed a petition opposing the plan.

According to Tomáš Iránek, the project's chief architect and a company representative, the new housing is part of a broader HR strategy aimed at retaining spa employees. "This is part of our staffing strategy to ensure the long-term sustainability of the spa and treatment facility. The project does not run counter to the public interest," he said.

The company commissioned a development concept for the spa park which, Iránek says, builds on the ideas of the original 1903 urban planning and landscape design for the spa town. The concept also envisions better parking for local residents and improvements to the spa park itself. Iránek stressed that the project has been coordinated with the Nature and Landscape Protection Agency and the regional authority.

The petition's authors are demanding a full assessment of the development project and timely public information about it. "We are concerned that the planned construction could negatively affect the character of the area, its natural value, the local water regime, increase traffic load and lower the quality of life for residents of nearby homes," the petition states. Its authors insist that before any decision on the development is made, the possible impact on the Bělohradská bažantnice forest park, the surrounding area and the U Pardoubku location must be evaluated. Critics argue that, in essence, this is a developer's project that has little to do with the area's spa function.

In June, the company presented its concept to the town council. According to Mayor Alena Kuželová (SNK Bělohradsko movement), the purpose of the presentation was to introduce the idea to councillors and residents at the earliest possible stage and to open up discussion before any decisions were made. She said that the town administration has not yet made any decision to change the master plan, and no such decision will be taken without a thorough public discussion and assessment.

Kuželová clarified that the company has not formally submitted an application to amend the master plan, and that neither a draft amendment to the master plan nor a building permit application was discussed at the council meeting. She noted that the territorial study is available for review at the town's building authority, which serves a town of more than 3,600 residents.

Source: ekolist.cz