On April 23, 2018 Subsidy contract was concluded between Ministry of Environmental  Protection and Regional Development and Kurzeme Planning Region for implementation of the project   LLI 303 “Life in Clean Environment – a Better Future !” (“Clean Brownfields”), Interreg V-A Latvia – Lithuania Programme 2014 – 2020.

We are glad that approval has been given to a project which is for a long time cherished and improved by Kurzeme Planning Region and other eight project partners from Latvia and Lithuania. Project lead partner is Kurzeme Planning Region. Kuldīga, Skrunda, Ventspils and Saldus County Municipalities are projet partners from Latvia, Kaunas City Administration , Kaunas Regional Development Agency, Klaipeda  and Telsai District Municipalities are project partners from Lithuania.

Project will last for two years, and when it is finished Kuldiga County Municipality will get rid of 366 tons of contamination in the terrritory of former   municipal company for horticulture, creating clean territory to develop skiing tracks in near future. Two dangerous and contaminated derelict dwelling buildings will be pulled down at Ruba, Saldus County and Ugāle, Ventspils County. Close to the national significance railroad line Skrunda County Municipality will acquire 11 ha of clean and orderly territory earlier owned by soviet military base, now with a good potential for business development. Kaunas City Administration will clean and put in order 10 000 m² of the former military town and will create a new football ground instead of brownfield. Telsiai District Municipality will clean one ha of territorry contaminated with oil products in the former military town to revitalize the territory for business development in near future.

Within the framework of the project basis for a valuable gain and at the same time great future challenge for Klaipeda District Municipality will be laid – technical documentation to put in order 265 ha large area of former mineral quarries close to Gargzdai municipality. Now it is a territory of numerous wild water ponds after the active economic activities have been finished. Cleaned and rebuilt it will be be turned into attractive widely demanded sports and recreational activities area of cross – border significance.

In their turn, Kurzeme Planning Region in cooperation with Kaunas Regional Development Agency will take care of training municipal staff and experts on how to clean and revitalize brownfield territories. Seminars, thematic work groups and study visits will be organized to reach the aim.

85% of the project eligible expenses or EUR 889 520,51 will be co – funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Project kick-off meeting and project management group meetings have been organized. At the conclusion of the meetings to add best practise experience from Kuldiga Municipality project partners visited two former brownfield sites – a newly reconstructed historic Hebrew sinagogue, now used as a municipal library and arts centre, and municipal sports school and swimming pool. In both sites the buildings were redeveloped in the cultural heritage territory, hence, specific demands observed.

For the municipalities where preparation of technical documentation and infrastructure investment is envisaged, actual practical activities are dedicated to public procurement documentation and public procurement process.

Implementation of the project is significant not only to Kurzeme Planning Region and the project partners. The project will contribute to highlighting the issue of the enormous number of brownfield territories/ buildings in Latvia and Lithuania, of the importance to create operational system and financial assistance to put them in order, of the impressive socio – economic potential of the brownfield territories. Project results will also be contribution and additional gain to the activities for revitalization of the territories being realized with the help of the European Union financial assistance  through Operational programme “Growth and Employment”, within the framewok of investment priority on protection of environment and effective use of resources.

More information on the project you will find on the internet site of Kurzeme Planning Region www.kurzemesregions.lv.

 

This article has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of the Kurzeme Planning Region, and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.