28 trees were cut down for building a shop "Mila" in Minsk  

 

A few days ago, people living in the house №26a on the Malinina street  stopped employees of "Zelenstroyi", who had begun to cut trees and to prepare the place for building of a shop. Then the police arrived the place of conflict, and until the clarification of all the circumstances felling was suspended. However, June 14 “comrades” with saws still brought the matter to the end.

 

Local residents are outraged that for building of a shop near their house 28 trees have been cut down. Those trees were planted by own hands of people living in the house! In protest, the residents of Serebryanka  Microdistrict are refusing to participate in the election of deputies to the House of Representatives - says the radio Liberty.

 

Despite the facts that the residents for 2 days collected 800 signatures against the building of a shop, met recently with Deputy Head of the Administration of the Leninsky District, tried to convey  their position to him, the local government  ignored the request of the residents, having referred to the fact that in 2013 the procedure of notifications about land selling had been followed.

 

The developer said to Onliner.by, that the land had been bought a few years before at the auction after public debate. But residents of the house number 26a believe that in 2013 the project of neighboring land development was imposed on the public discussion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As noted in the Association "Green Network", the problem with the issues of construction of small objects in the city is usually that about public discussion of these objects no one knows, and rarely participates in it.
 

Information about public discussions is placed on the administrations sites, which are not visited. However, even on these sites it is difficult to find necessary information. Consequently, residents react and get the information about the building only when the fence is put  and trees are cut down. And in such cases, all is agreed, and usually in terms of legislation is often legal. At the same time to influence the decision about the development of green areas is almost impossible, - says  Marina Dubina, the coordinator of the "Green Network" legal service.

 

To avoid such situations, it is recommended to local residents periodically be interested in what is planned to be built in their district. Having seen the announcement about public discussions, run to the administration to see not whether it is the development of green zone near your house, - says Marina Dubina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An interesting fact is that against the building of a shop "Mila" the citizens of Minsk protested not for the first time. Last October, a similar thing happened on the Lynkov street, where the company "Perfume Trade", which owns a network of shops "Mila" also bought land on the green zone near a house to build a shop. Residents, when they saw, that the building site had been placed on the lawn, began to collect signatures against the building and accessed to all kinds of authorities, from local to the executive committee of the President Administration. Fortunately, the residents managed to stop the illegal building and to win back the green zone.

 

Ecoetika.by considers that it is necessary to declare a public boycott to the network of shops "Mila" because of violation of ethical norms committed against people and nature. As well as our Center is going to write an official letter to the authorities to achieve the policy change regarding building in green areas.

 

 

 

         The author: Ludmila Loginovskaya