Ministry to prepare ‘demolition’ plan

The Ministry for Regional Development is preparing a proposal for the use of state or other funds in the demolition of abandoned buildings in problem areas, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka confirmed on Monday. He made the statement while visiting the city of Ústí nad Labem in North Bohemia which has a number of such neighbourhoods, The prime minister outlined possible ways forward, saying the strict demolition of condemned buildings could be paid for by the state and local municipalities; another option is the apparent revitalization of areas following demolition, such as the creation of affordable or social housing, for example, which would involve European funding. The Ústí region estimates that some 250 million crowns would be needed to level problematic buildings.

Author: Jan Velinger