Hundreds of cubic meters of sand loaded onto a pontoon in front of Cape Zavala, the residential complex "Dukley Gardens", shook the Budva public yesterday.
The President of the Municipality of Budva, Nikola Jovanović, directed the accusations at the Public Company Morsko dobro, asking the authorities who allowed interventions in the protected zone.
"Morsko should explain who and on whose behalf is carrying out illegal activities and works at the site in the immediate vicinity of 'Dukley'. The competent inspections should urgently react and inform the public about what is actually going on and whether it is the preparation of 'investment' bathing areas without the approval of the competent authorities or work to install pontoons or expand beaches. For what reasons is the transported sand being thrown into the sea, and this within the scope of a protected area. I call on the media, the NGO sector and the competent inspections, the Government of Montenegro to investigate and inform us about what is going on," Jovanović wrote on the social network Facebook.
The company "Dukley Hotel", which manages the residential complex and hotel, sent Jovanović a letter in which they replied in detail that they had all the necessary approvals and permits.
"Yesterday, you published very worrying content on your social networks in which you presented our legal work on expanding the beach and building maritime infrastructure facilities as a violation of the law and environmental damage. Your publication caused public concern and great negative media attention. Unfortunately, this is a repeated situation in which local political squabbles are unnecessarily causing damage to both investors and Budva as a destination," said the executive director of "Dukley Hotel" Anđa Pantović in a letter.
She provided Jovanović with the full information, and asked him "to publish it in the same way for the sake of elementary correctness."
"Dukley Hotel doo Budva, operator of 3 (three) high-category hotels in the Dukley Gardens complex, submits documentation accompanying the execution of works on the construction of maritime infrastructure facilities, engineering facilities for beach protection and bathing area development within the scope of the investment bathing area, location 11A1, on cadastral plots 3062 and 3063 of the Budva Municipal Administrative Organization, on Cape Zavala. The works are being carried out on the basis of technical documentation prepared in accordance with the Urban and Technical Conditions No. 06-061-1013/3 issued by the Municipality of Budva. The project received Consent for the Environmental Impact Assessment Study, including the marine ecosystem, by a Decision of the Environmental Protection Agency adopted in a public procedure, while the discussion on the Study was held on December 16, 2024, in the premises of the Secretariat for Urban Planning and Sustainable Development of the Municipality of Budva. It is clear that the procedure was transparent and public, and the Municipality of Budva was informed of the intended investment," the letter submitted to Vijesti states.
The company "Dukley Hotel" provided Jovanović with an overview of the actions undertaken in order to carry out the works in question, noting that the installation of underwater piers and the execution of the works are being carried out outside the Slovenska plaza protection zone, whose border ends with the border of the Guvance beach - UT conditions No. 06-061-1013/3 were issued by the Municipality of Budva on 05.04.2019. based on the PPPN for the coastal area.
"Based on the UT conditions, JPMD accepted the Investment Program for the realization of the bathing area, and adopted the Decision on granting the bathing area a long-term lease; -The Government of Montenegro, at its session on 20.05.2020, adopted the Decision on granting the investment bathing area a long-term lease, on the basis of which JPMD announced a tender; the company Dukley Hotel doo was selected as the most favorable bidder and concluded -A long-term lease agreement with JPMD on 02.11.2020; -Dukley Hotel doo obtained approval from JPMD for the corrected Conceptual Design No. 0210-439/18 on 06.08.2024 and Approval for the Main Project No. 0210-439/40 on 30.12.2024; -Dukley Hotel doo obtained approval from all state authorities for the revised main project; - Dukley Hotel doo submitted a Construction Application to the competent Ministry spatial planning, urbanism and state property, all in order to execute the -Contract concluded with JPMD; -Dukley Hotel doo obtained the Decision of the Environmental Protection Agency No. 03-UPI-394 for the execution of the works in question on 12.03.2025. As it emphasized, "It is clear from the submitted documentation that the works on expanding and protecting the beach by constructing underwater embankments that prevent erosion of the bathing area are being carried out in accordance with the legally prescribed procedure, with transparency and participation of the Municipality of Budva, the Government of Montenegro and JPMD in the permit obtaining process," the letter to Jovanović states.
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