"In the municipality of Bar, further development of residential and tourist capacities is completely conditioned by the construction of a sewage network and wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, the impacts on the sea, Lake Skadar and other surface and groundwater are assessed as extremely negative until the wastewater collection and treatment system is resolved in the municipality," stated the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment for the Draft Spatial and Urban Plan of the Municipality of Bar.
The Draft Urban Development Plan for Bar and the Strategic Assessment Report from Friday are on public consultation which will last until April 11th, and a public presentation will be held on Friday, March 21st in the Great Hall of the Bar Municipal Assembly from 11 am to 14 pm.
The draft itself states that the excessive and rapid construction of residential and commercial buildings was not accompanied by the necessary construction of a sewage and traffic network, which led to the creation of major infrastructure problems, and that the key problem is the underdeveloped sewage network, the lack of its purifiers, but rather direct discharge into the sea at several locations along the Bar Riviera.
It was explained that there are five independent sewage systems in the municipality: for the city area of Bar, for Sutomore, Čanj, Veliki pijesak and Utjeha. It was also stated that in some places the atmospheric and fecal sewage systems are connected, which burdens the network and increases negative impacts.
"There are no wastewater treatment plants (WTPs), except in Virpazar, so wastewater is discharged into the sea without treatment through submarine outfalls or without them, which is not a good solution from the point of view of sanitation of settlements and preservation of the quality of beaches and coastal sea. The penetration of atmospheric water into the fecal sewage system significantly burdens existing collectors and pumping stations, which is unacceptable in a future system with treatment plants. The lack of construction of a sewage network in suburban settlements causes wastewater to flow into storm drains and torrential flows, which, when polluted, endanger the city center and flow into the sea," it was stated among the key problems of the sewage network.
It is stated that two options were considered - to connect the sewage systems into one and build a single sewage treatment plant behind Volujica, or to build a separate wastewater treatment plant for each separate system.
"Financial analyses have shown that decentralized options are more economically viable. However, the location study did not address additional analyses related to property and legal issues for the locations in question, as well as issues of social impact of the selected locations (local residents are resistant to locating the WWTP near a settlement and tourist resort)," the document states.
The draft itself does not propose a solution, but the authors suggest that it is necessary to conduct a study of the wastewater disposal of the municipality of Bar, as well as a feasibility study of the treatment plant, in order to consider the solution from all aspects.
The Strategic Study Report states that further development of tourism on the Bar Riviera, or in the villages along the Bar coast of Lake Skadar, is impossible without a quality solution to the issue of wastewater treatment (WWTP) from fecal sewage.
The strategic study lists the main risks to the further successful development of Bar.
"Irrational use of space and environmental degradation; low level of use of biological, geographical and landscape diversity; endangerment and neglect of public goods and public spaces; lack of adequate attention to the preservation and protection of cultural heritage; inadequate use of natural resources due to excessively intensive and spatially uneven development of tourism; uncontrolled pollution of water sources and the sea and loss of spatial identity; insufficient and inadequate sewage disposal and sanitation of settlements due to low coverage of the territory by a system with a wastewater treatment plant," the Report states.
The draft plan states that the sanitary landfill at Možura is not sufficient and will be full in two years, which is why it needs to be expanded, as well as programs to collect and process some of the waste in order to reduce the pressure on that landfill.
The draft plan highlights the major problem of traffic jams during the summer season, and it is expected that they will be solved by connecting Bar to future highway and expressway routes, as this will relieve the existing main roads. However, it does not specify when this might happen.
The main road from Bar to Sutomore and up to the connection to the road through the "Sozina" tunnel is listed as a critical section, which is why it is planned to be converted into a boulevard.
"The graphic attachment provides a proposal for the boulevard route with a recommendation that the parallel Brca Bridge be planned on the upstream side, and the tunnel tube for road traffic next to the railway tunnel," the plan states.
Also, the plan is to extend Revolution Boulevard to the railway line, which it crosses at an uneven level, and later continue as a boulevard to the newly planned road in Bjeliši, namely the regional road R-28, the future new Bar-Virpazar highway.
The draft plan provides guidelines for the future development of housing (construction of residential buildings) and tourism (construction of hotels), which will be more precisely defined in new detailed urban plans.
The goals of housing development in the municipality of Bar are to encourage the construction, reconstruction and adaptation of residential and mixed-use buildings with technical solutions that increase the energy efficiency of buildings, as well as to provide humane housing conditions in accordance with EU standards.
In terms of tourism, the development of high-class mixed-use resorts, higher, high and luxury category hotels, as well as the development of rural and nautical tourism, is proposed.
The development of the port's aquatorium, the extension of the terminal to accommodate medium and large passenger ships and cruisers, as well as operational quays for dry and bulk cargo, the continuation of the second phase of the Volujica quarry, the construction of a new container terminal, while the liquefied gas terminal is not mentioned.
Airport in Mrkovsko polje
The draft spatial plan provides for the possibility of building a small airport at the Mrkovsko polje location in Bar. It is stated that the existing Spatial Plan of Montenegro, as well as the basic study for the development of the new Spatial Plan of Montenegro, did not foresee an airport in the Municipality of Bar.
"However, as the PPCG Draft is currently being prepared and there is an initiative by the Municipality of Bar, this planning document envisages an airport for special needs: recreational flying, sports flying and (seasonal) regional traffic, as well as for smaller business aircraft at the Mrkovsko Polje location," the draft states, explaining that in 2022, the Belgrade Faculty of Transport and Communications prepared a study "Analysis of the conditions of the Mrkovsko Polje location for potential airport development" which determined the suitability for the construction of a category 3C airport.
Cable car from Bar, via Rumija to Lake Skadar
The construction of a cable car is planned to connect the Bar Riviera with Lake Skadar.
"The framework route connects Novi Bar-Velembuse-Rumija-Skadar Lake. It should be noted that the construction of the planned cable car, given that it connects the Bar Riviera with Skadar Lake, requires a special sensitivity approach and the provision of special conditions prescribed by the laws on national parks and nature protection. It is also necessary to carry out hydrological and biological research of the wider site and obtain permits from the Environmental Protection Agency before their implementation," the draft plan states.
The municipal budget for this year includes money to start this project by announcing a study for selecting a location.
Ten new quarries
The draft plan also includes ten new quarries. On Paštrovacka Gora, near the town of Bijelo Polje, there are two, one for technical and construction stone and one for bentonite.
Potential quarries include the locations "Rudina-Stepen" on the local road about 3 km from the turnoff for Gluhi do, on the Petrovac-Virpazar road on the right, as well as "Široka strana" along the Virpazar-Ostros-Stari Bar road, after the settlement of Seoca.
A promising area for a quarry is also “Gigovići” along the right side of the Ulcinj-Vladimir road, on the northwestern slopes of Briska gora.
The “Vukići” deposit, in the area of the village of the same name, is also marked, as is the “Kamenički most” along the road to Velja Gorana, and “Pelinkovići” in the settlement of the same name.
A possible quarry "Ujtin potok" along the Bar-Ulcinj main road has also been mapped, as well as "Velja Gorana 2" in the Brdela gorge, about 2 km southeast of the settlement of Velja Gorana.
"Identifying areas that have potential, in terms of mineral raw materials, during the development of the spatial plan will ensure more efficient use of national mineral resources and their adequate valorization," the document states.
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