The municipality of Veliko Tarnovo has been taking care of land near Tsarevets for years, which is actually private property. This was announced at the meeting of the local parliament by the mayor Daniel Panov on the occasion of an inquiry by the BSP municipal councilors Valeria Doncheva and Irena Stasinopoulou about the reasons for the poor condition of the space around Tsar Ivan Asen I Square and whether it is time for the Municipality to take measures for cleaning and securing the area in question. “The steps between the Humanitarian High School and the square are in a shocking state – broken, unsafe, dangerous, unsightly. Underground communications are freely left meters from the tourist flow. The transformation of this space into a micro dump, apart from an ugly sight, leaves an impression on the thousands of tourists and on the overall attitude towards the emblem of the city. Will the area around the steps be cleaned and secured and will the steps themselves be repaired and when? What is the purpose of the communications in question and how should they be exploited? What possibilities are there for upgrading the area to make it more welcoming and convenient for the thousands passing through there”, asked the councilors.
Mayor Daniel Panov explained that, in fact, since 2009, the problem area referred to in the question has been a private property, and for this reason the Municipality has not been able to personally take care of its management. However, during these 15 years, the Municipality, entirely with its own means and forces, has repeatedly carried out actions to clean and improve it. In February of this year, a conversation was held about the main cleaning and securing of the place. It is estimated that any future repair work on the steps will cost BGN 65,000. As for the “Energo Pro” cables located on the surface, they have already been laid underground. And the remaining cables are to be laid in special protected channels. “It’s a pity that this place is privately owned, because we had a vision of what it should be, together with the building of the former District Council,” said Mayor Panov. According to the plan, which unfortunately could not be implemented, a modern museum could have been built on this site.
“I’m puzzled, I didn’t know this place was privately owned for so many years. I hope it will be permanently maintained in the future. Does the owner have any idea about the future use of this space”, municipal councilor Valeriya Doncheva asked a rhetorical question. Her colleague Irina Stasinopoulou asked if there is no possibility for the Municipality to buy back this plot of land. However, this question of hers remained unanswered for now.
An inspection of “Yantra Dnes” found that the area around the steps between Tsar Ivan Asen Square and the Humanitarian Gymnasium has indeed been completely cleaned, and cables are missing. The only problem is the dilapidated old stone steps that need major repair and replacement.
At the municipal session, the issue of the neighboring building of the former District Council was also discussed. Over the years, it had the unfortunate fate of changing its ownership many times, and none of the new owners ever took any measures to restore and repair it. Today, the monumental building, which is more than 110 years old, is gradually falling apart. Its last owner is the Pension Insurance Company “Saglasie”, which, however, clearly has no intention of taking care of it. And the building itself has the status of a cultural-historical monument of national importance and part of a group ensemble. Over the years, the Municipality has repeatedly issued orders to the owners to carry out repairs and security works on the building. In some of the cases the prescriptions were partially fulfilled, in others not. According to the Law on Cultural-Historical Heritage, fines for unfulfilled prescriptions range from BGN 5 to 10 or BGN 15 to 30,000, depending on whether the owner is a natural or legal person. However, this fine is not imposed by the Municipality, but by the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture after an inspection of the specific site. Regarding the building of the former District Council, however, no punitive measures have yet been taken.
“There are no municipal buildings in Veliko Tarnovo that are not secured and not taken care of. The private owners of such are also supported by the Municipality with tax reductions and free preparation of plans. However, the local authority cannot influence the owners of the old buildings, even when they are cultural monuments. There is a proposal from NSORB that such buildings should first be nationalized and then handed over to the municipalities for management,” explained Mayor Daniel Panov. Changes have been made to the Law on Cultural and Historical Heritage, but it is not clear at what stage they are. In Veliko Tarnovo alone, there are between 800 and 900 sites with the status of part of the cultural and historical heritage.
Ivan GEORGIEV
