Request for withdrawal of the permit for the construction of SHPP Karaula in the Special Nature Reserve in Serbia

The provisions of the Law on Planning and Construction that were in force at the time of issuing the construction permit stipulate that the construction permit ceases to be valid if the construction of the facility is not started, ie the execution of works within two years from the day the construction permit became final.

The Regulatory Institute for Renewable Energy and Environment (RERI) has submitted a request to the Department of Urbanism, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the City Administration of the City of Kraljevo to revoke the building permit approving the construction of a small hydro power plant Karaula on Brezanska River nature reserve Goc-Gvozdac. In order to determine the fact whether the construction or execution of works on SHPP Karaula has begun, RERI submitted a request to the competent construction inspection to initiate an extraordinary inspection, which after going to the field and on-site inspection determined that the investor did not start within the prescribed period. works on the construction of SHPP Karaula, and that the supervision determined that no marking of the construction site was performed, no construction board was installed, as well as that there are no traces of any construction activities, ie construction works on the plots where the project documentation envisages construction of water intake, machine buildings and pipelines. In addition, in order to determine the stated fact, RERI hired a court expert in the field of construction, who, after visiting the terrain and expertise, stated that the investor did not start with the construction of SHPP Karaula.

Bearing in mind that all the conditions prescribed by the provisions of the Law on Planning and Construction have been met, in terms of termination of the Construction Permit approving the construction of SHPP Karaula, ie the fact that it has been unequivocally established that the legal deadline of 2 years has expired, and that the investor has not started performing works on SHPP Karaula. Council of the Faculty of Forestry, which manages the Special Nature Reserve Goc-Gvozdac. refused to give the investor land for the construction of the mini-hydro power plant Karaula, and that decision was supported by the Council of the University of Belgrade.

RERI reminds the competent authorities at the local and national level that the construction of small hydropower plants did not contribute to achieving the goals of the Action Plan for the Use of Renewable Energy Sources, but did violate the rule of law, destroy rivers and protected areas and endanger human rights. We expect that the competent body of the city administration in Kraljevo will act in accordance with the law and put the construction permit for SHPP Karaula out of force.

Source: reri.org.rs

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