Freital rejects commercial area: Citizens' protests successful!

Freital rejects commercial area: Citizens' protests successful!

Freital, Deutschland - What happens in Freital? There is excitement in the city council, because the plans for a new industrial area in Wargwitz have ultimately been rejected. At a meeting in March, 16 out of 30 city councils voted against the project, which is a bitter disappointment for Mayor Uwe Rumberg and the second mayor Josephine Schattanek. According to a report from sächsische.de Should the planned industrial area, located in a meadow landscape and arable land north of Zöllmener Straße, act as a significant factor for the city. The majority of the own funds already come from trade tax.

The city administration had no alternative areas in the inner -city area or insolvent companies, which made the decision more difficult. The industrial area was intended as part of a larger plan, the aim of which was to offer support, especially for the glassworks in Freital.

The influence of residents

The backing among the population was not available. Local residents protested loudly and hanged up posters with the inscription "No industrial area on Wallwitz meadows and fields". This, along with further concerns about environmental protection, noise protection and traffic volume, was expressed by the mayor Jutta Ebert and ultimately led to the decision of the city council, such as Economy-in-Sachsen

Josephine Schattanek made it clear that the decision was made in the interests of the city and that not all city councils were against the project. Nevertheless, there are efforts to adapt the land use plan to bring a new weighing decision into the city council after the summer break. The city administration originally planned to use 19 hectares for the commercial area, but reduced the area to 7 hectares to take public opinion.

future prospects for Freital

Despite the setbacks, the city administration does not completely reduce the plans for a "sustainable industrial area" in Wargwitz. Areas of almost 15 hectares are planned, which include old stable systems and green and arable land. The focus is on a "green industrial area", which will provide minimal sealing and elements such as biotopes and the use of regenerative energies.

The city has already shown several commercial space in the past ten years, especially along the railway line and Carl-Thieme-Straße. This development is important because Freital considers inner -city potential for new commercial space to be almost exhausted. However, inquiries from companies can currently not be approved for larger land, since interested parties often have to be referred to other communities.

An important step in the future of the city is the establishment of a development plan for the commercial area, which was decided on April 18, 2024. It will be a long process and experts expect several years before the implementation can really be addressed. The public is comprehensively integrated and the city plans to spread information on public participation in a timely manner so that all citizens have the opportunity to get involved. The whole will be part of the continuation process in the land use plan, which already includes the first representations as commercial space.

The city must therefore master the challenges of guaranteeing environmental protection and the consideration of the residents' interests in order to find a balance. The next steps will be crucial for the economic introduction of these areas and show that Freital cannot be discouraged by the first hurdle.