In the Belgrade neighborhood of Mirijevo, the third session of the City of Belgrade’s Planning Commission was held a few days ago, where the fate of the spontaneous Bajdina forest was discussed.
Previous discussions were interrupted due to clashes between two opposing sides, while the recent meeting was more peaceful but ended without a concrete solution.
On one side, landowners want to build a residential and commercial complex, while on the other side, residents want the forest to remain and be arranged as a park. According to local media reports, the atmosphere at the session was tense, but it calmed down after the landowners left the meeting.
A representative of the landowners, Tomislav Petrović, argued that not the entire forest would be cut down and that the area is currently neglected and full of debris and waste. He also dismissed claims that the area is a landslide risk, citing conducted geological surveys, according to Beta Green Serbia.
The landowners advocate for cutting down 66 hectares of spontaneous forest and building a residential-commercial complex for about 15,000 people.
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On the other hand, a representative of the residents, Nikola Cvetanović from the association “Mirijevo, Green and Healthy,” said that building the complex would be “cruel” to the citizens. He called the forest the “lungs of Mirijevo” and emphasized that, although it was not officially designated as a green area, it practically is and should remain so.
Residents have gathered 2,300 signatures against the construction plan, fearing that its realization would destroy the forest, create traffic congestion, and cause other issues in the neighborhood. Cvetanović called on the authorities to reject the plan and support the residents.
The city’s chief urban planner, Marko Stojčić, announced that a decision on the future of the forest would be made after consultations with all relevant institutions.
“We will not decide yet on these objections, which means we will not rule in favor of the citizens who oppose the construction, nor those in favor of it, until the city takes a final stance on this area,” said Marko Stojčić, the city urban planner, as reported by Nova.
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