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There are currently 1800 illegal construction projects registered in the Vodnjan area. This problem has been devastating the area for years, especially in the Barbariga and Peroj areas, and the scale is so great that some settlements have more illegal buildings than legal buildings.
According to city authorities, in as many as 99% of cases, it is foreign citizens who build weekend houses, often usurping other people's or state-owned land. Of the total number of cases, final orders have already been issued for around 200 buildings. removal decisions.
There is a big problem with foreign investors illegally building on agricultural land without electricity and water connections, which creates enormous pressure on the utility system and the environment. Vodnjan is intensifying its enforcement of municipal regulations, recording illegal structures and closing construction sites, but the final demolition depends on the State Inspectorate and lengthy administrative processes.
Around 1800 illegal construction projects
Illegal construction has been one of the biggest spatial and communal threats in Croatia for years, and the consequences of such devastation of space are especially visible in Istria.
From illegally built houses and cottages, construction on agricultural and state land to pressure on infrastructure, waste removal and the environment, the problem is becoming more and more pronounced every year, he writes. IstraIN.
Among the areas that are most intensely facing this problem is Vodnjan with its settlements, especially the Barbariga area, where hundreds of cases of illegal construction have been recorded in recent years.
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Mayor Igor Orlic warns that this is a problem that seriously burdens the space, the utility system and the quality of life of citizens, and emphasizes that the City has stepped up activities in the fight against illegal construction.
According to him, around 1800 illegal construction projects have currently been recorded in the Vodnjan area, while around 200 structures already have decisions for removal or demolition.
Foreigners are the biggest problem
Orlić points out that the City does its part of the work by recording and reporting disputed buildings, but the problem arises in the further procedure - there are a lot of delays in the State Inspectorate and the Construction Inspectorate, which must initiate further procedures. According to him, one of the key problems is lack of staff in the competent institutions.
He hopes, however, that by the end of the year, certain things will be set in motion and that the demolition of buildings that already have ready-made solutions will begin. He particularly emphasizes that the vast majority of cases concern foreign citizens, in his words as much as 99 percent. He said that it is incredible that someone could build on state land or even on someone else's plots.
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He points out that illegal construction is not only an urban planning problem, but also creates a number of additional consequences for the entire community.It's a vicious circle. Illegal construction leads to the problem of illegal dumping of waste and great pressure on the entire municipal infrastructure", Orlić warned, particularly highlighting the problem of Barbariga during the summer months, IstraIN reports.
As many as 475 applications submitted in 2023
The city of Vodnjan has increased its municipal police activities and reporting of illegal structures in recent years. According to previous data from the city administration, as many as 475 reports were submitted to the building inspection during 2023, while an additional 290 reports were submitted by April 2024 alone.
The building inspection has already carried out demolition in the area of Vodnjanština, mostly in the area of Peroj and Mandriol, where dozens of illegally built buildings were removed.
Orlić also referred to the new law on the legalization of buildings built before 2011, noting that he personally is not a supporter of legalization.
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Source: IstraIN
