Trutnov rejects Czech state plan for wind turbines, seeks to protect Studenec and Staré Buky

Trutnov’s leadership rejects the proposal to designate acceleration zones for the faster construction of wind farms in its territory. It expressed its objections in a document sent to the Ministry for Regional Development (MMR). The city will defend the affected locations and is calling for the entire plan to be withdrawn or completely reworked, its representatives told the Czech News Agency (ČTK). Two acceleration zones have been designated in Trutnov: one in the Studenec district, covering a total of 932 hectares, and another in the Staré Buky area, covering 330 hectares.

"In the comments we sent to the ministry, we express clear opposition to the proposals. We consider the measures unlawful and inadequately justified, including in terms of their local impacts. We intend to actively defend our territory," said Mayor Michal Rosa (ODS).

The city of Trutnov argues that the proposed zones directly conflict with the requirements of a directive of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. It also pointed out that the proposal was not discussed with local governments. The city considers the distance of wind farms from settlements and the inadequate protection of residents’ health to be key concerns. The proposal sets a minimum distance of 500 metres between wind farms and homes. The city proposes that the required distance from homes should be at least six times the height of the structure.

The city also sees a contradiction in the fact that, although artificial and built-up areas such as rooftops, facades, car parks and industrial sites are supposed to be prioritised for acceleration zones, the state proposal ignores this order of priorities. “The areas of Staré Buky and Studenec direct large-scale construction into the as-yet untouched and valuable natural environment of the open landscape in the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains, representing an uneconomical use of the region’s landscape potential,” said city spokesperson Adéla Ščudlová.

According to the mayor, the ministry even explicitly admitted in its justification that it had abandoned the principle of respecting valid municipal zoning plans. “Such an argument is unacceptable in a nationwide document. The state is knowingly obstructing the natural, planned development of settlements,” Rosa added.

In its comments, the city also said that although the development of renewable energy sources is declared to be in the public interest, this interest does not take precedence over other priorities, particularly the protection of landscape values, ensuring decent housing, preventing the fragmentation of open landscapes and supporting sustainable tourism in the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains. The full text of the comments is available on the city’s website.

Five acceleration zones for wind farms have been proposed in the region, all of them in the Trutnov area. Some municipalities oppose the plans. The regional authority has also sent comments to the ministry, proposing that areas including the route of the future D11 motorway near Studenec in Trutnov and a biocorridor in the Staré Buky and Kocléřov area be excluded from the zones. The MMR proposal envisages nearly a hundred zones in Czechia where permitting for wind and solar power plants is to be made simpler.