Four municipalities in Czechia's Vysočina Region call referendums over wind farms

Some municipalities in the Vysočina Region are planning local referendums on proposals to build wind farms alongside the parliamentary elections. The councils in Polná, Černovice, Věžnička and Menhartice have already called referendums for the election dates of 3 and 4 October. In Stonařov, in the Jihlava area, councillors will discuss a proposal from the referendum preparatory committee on 17 September. The Czech Press Agency (ČTK) learned this from municipal representatives and from the Ministry of the Interior's website.

The preparatory committee seeking to hold a referendum in Stonařov, which has 1,100 residents, submitted signature sheets to the municipal office in early July and later clarified some details at the office's request. “We submitted signature sheets with around 360 signatures to the town office, which, according to our calculations, should meet the legal requirement for calling a referendum,” Michal Ryšavý of the preparatory committee told ČTK.

Two years ago, following the results of a local poll, Stonařov signed a cooperation agreement with LCJ Invest, a company planning to build wind turbines. At the time, four turbines were under consideration. The investor's proposal to expand the wind farm by up to four more turbines sparked further debate. Residents rejected the proposal in this year's poll.

There are seven wind turbines in the Vysočina Region; the last ones were built in 2009. Various investors are now trying to reach agreements to build them in a number of locations, promising financial contributions to the municipalities.

WEB Větrná energie and Pražská energetika have announced plans for a wind farm near Polná. According to their presentations, they are considering up to seven turbines. The town council agreed in June to hold a local referendum and made its final decision this week. Polná has 5,300 residents.

Residents of Věžnička, three kilometres from Polná, will also decide in a referendum whether a wind turbine should be built. The turbine under consideration in the municipality, which has 150 residents, would be owned by the Jamensko Energy Community, of which Věžnička is a founding member. In its announcement on its website, the municipality said the issue was so important that councillors had agreed to call a referendum.

A year ago, residents of Jamné in the Jihlava area voted by a majority to reject the construction of a wind turbine that would have been owned by the municipality.

In Černovice, in the Pelhřimov area, a town of around 1,800 residents, the municipality received several offers for wind turbines. A poll was held on the issue, and residents called for a referendum in a petition.

In Menhartice, in the Třebíč area, which has 140 residents, a referendum on a proposed wind farm was originally due to be held in April, but councillors cancelled it two days beforehand. The new date is 3 and 4 October. “The postponement was mainly because we needed to communicate with the surrounding municipalities and the entire Jemnicko microregion,” Mayor Pavel Leitkep, an independent, told ČTK.

Under the law, a referendum is valid if at least 35 percent of eligible voters take part. Its result is binding on the council if a majority of those who vote support it and at least 25 percent of eligible voters take part.

Other municipalities in the region will also use the elections to hold referendums. Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou is expected to vote on the construction of a sports hall, while Dudín will vote on a care home for the elderly.