Metal awnings located along the walls of Budva's Old Town and covering restaurant terraces, which were installed without the approval of the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, will be removed after more than a decade.
This is envisaged in the Draft Program of Temporary Facilities for the period 2024-2028, which was prepared by the administration of the Mayor of the Municipality. Nikola Jovanović, into which "Vijesti" had an insight.
In doing so, Jovanović will do what previous municipal authorities, both those from the DPS ranks and those from the former Democratic Front and Democrats, have promised to do, but have not: clear the contact zone of the Old Town from inappropriate metal awnings and restore order.
Jovanović drew a revolt from the residents of Stari Grad after he announced that he would ban traffic in the contact zone and turn it into a pedestrian zone, and abolish parking lots near Pizana and at the old bus station. In addition, he announced that the Stari Grad would be a quiet zone, without music.
Despite the strong opposition of the Cultural Heritage Protection Authority, privileged caterers began erecting awnings around the Old Town with the approval of the municipal authorities more than a decade ago during the DPS government. After the fall of the DPS, and in 2017, the city was taken over by a coalition of the DF and the Democrats, but despite warnings from the Cultural Heritage Protection Authority and a negative opinion on the Temporary Facilities Program that awnings could be erected along the ramparts, the municipal authorities allowed several more to be erected, filling the entire contact zone of the oldest part of Budva with metal structures.
The municipality did not adopt the Temporary Facilities Program, which expired in December 2023, which caused chaos last summer, because all locations, including every catering terrace, were illegal, and the municipal treasury was deprived of at least 600 thousand euros because it did not collect taxes.
The Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Kotor Regional Unit, responded to "Vijesti" that on May 6, the Municipality of Budva submitted a draft of the Temporary Facilities Program for their opinion.
"According to the above, the Administration will, in accordance with its competences and within the legally prescribed deadline, issue an opinion on the planning document in question," the Administration's response states.
The draft practically complies with all the guidelines that were submitted by the Administration to the municipal commission that was formed to draft the planning document in early February last year.
In addition to removing awnings, which will be replaced by exclusively beige parasols, restaurant terraces will have to be “set” five meters away from the ramparts, and will also have a maximum of 30 tables. The terraces will be marked with markers, so that the Municipal Police will be able to determine on the spot whether a restaurant has expanded its terrace.
In the guidelines sent to the Municipality, which were submitted to the editorial office of "Vijesti" by the Administration, the local administration is asked to protect the oldest core of Budva.
"The Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Kotor Regional Unit, has been submitted a request for the submission of guidelines for the development of a Draft Program of Temporary Facilities for the territory of the Municipality of Budva for the period 2024-2028. In the Program that is currently being implemented, until 31. 12. 2023, 32 locations are planned in the Old Town zone of Budva (15 locations within the Old Town and 17 locations in the contact zone of the Old Town), of which the locations of catering terraces are predominantly envisaged. During the development of the Draft Program, 34 requests for temporary locations in the Old Town zone have currently been submitted, of which 21 requests relate to new locations, and 13 requests to existing ones, in terms of retaining or increasing the area. At the same time, the request in question also relates to the installation or construction of temporary facilities, devices and equipment that are not recognized by the Regulation on detailed conditions for the installation or construction of temporary facilities, devices and equipment, as a type of temporary facilities (awnings, parasols, pergolas, canopies above the entrance door storefronts, balconies, air conditioners...)", it says in the guidelines.
Bearing in mind the preservation of the cultural-historical, urban, architectural and ambient values of the locations, which partly represent an integral part of the protected urban entity of the Old Town of Budva, the Administration stated in its guidelines that concreting, or "the installation of immovable temporary catering facilities, is not permitted within the boundaries of the cultural property and its protected environment."
"Within the boundaries of cultural properties and their protected environment, especially in the immediate vicinity, around and within the walls of the Old Town, it is necessary to define the appearance of catering terrace furniture (umbrellas, accompanying furniture), in a way that it does not compete with or diminish the value of the cultural property, and in order to standardize the prepared objects and furniture within the boundaries of the cultural property and their surroundings. When choosing materials for making the awning, foresee the use of easily foldable and collapsible materials for the construction, in combination with beige canvas without any company or advertising inscriptions," the guidelines state, among other things.
As emphasized, "exclude the possibility of planning free-standing awnings that would be placed on a metal structure, anchored to the base".
"We emphasize that in the immediate vicinity, around and within the walls of the Old Town of Budva, it is not possible to set up enclosed gardens, glaze terraces with anodized/al/pvc hardware and glass, and it is not allowed to close with plastic and tarpaulins within the urban entity of the Old Town - Budva," the guidelines state.
Leader of the citizens' group "Movement for the City", Starograđanin Đorđe Zenović He pointed out that, although the Administration has been warning for years that the number of catering terraces must be reduced, and despite the announcements of the new government that order will be introduced and that public facilities will have priority in the Temporary Facilities Program, this cannot be seen from the draft Program.
"On the contrary, two new terraces have been planned for Pizana, one for Trg slikara and another for Brijeg od Budve. The attitude towards the economy operating within the Old Town, which will lose business due to the primacy of the terraces in front of the ramparts, is also worrying because it is being neglected. Not to mention the craftsmen who are slowly disappearing from Njegoševa and other streets, and especially the expansion of kebab, pizza parce windows and tuber bars. Not to mention that not a single public toilet has been planned to serve all these cafes. The government should focus on combating unfair competition and stopping the commercialization of the Old Town, because the residents and infrastructure are about to explode," Zenović pointed out.
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