'Victory on the Horizon, We Are Not Yet Out of the Red Zone': Neighbors on the Annulment of the Construction Permit on Kneza Miloša

A hard-fought battle by residents against a controversial construction project in Belgrade appears to be reaching a turning point. N1 Serbia reports on the annulment of the building permit for the site at Kneza Miloša 42, a decision that has brought a measure of relief to the local community.

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The construction permit has indeed been annulled, we can breathe a sigh of relief and say that justice has been served in an administrative sense, but we are not yet out of the red zone.

For nearly a year, residents of surrounding buildings have voiced strong opposition to the construction, employing both public protests and legal channels. Their primary concerns revolved around the potential impact on their own buildings' structural integrity and the fear of being completely "walled in" by the new development. The Administrative Commission of the Government of Serbia ultimately agreed, citing numerous irregularities in the permit's original issuance.

Đorđe Nenadović, a surveyor and a neighbor involved in the protest, described the situation to N1. He characterized the permit annulment as a "victory on the horizon" but cautioned that the fight is not entirely over. "The construction permit has indeed been annulled, we can breathe a sigh of relief and say that justice has been served in an administrative sense, but we are not yet out of the red zone," Nenadović stated. This sentiment reflects the ongoing challenges, as the physical remediation of the site and the damage caused by the construction activities still need to be addressed.

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As you can see, here at the construction site, the situation is very serious because the remediation of the damage caused by the construction site and the construction site itself still need to be removed.

The residents' struggle highlights a common issue in urban development: the balance between new construction and the rights and safety of existing communities. The persistence of the neighbors in challenging the permit, despite the difficulties in contacting the investor, underscores their determination to protect their living environment. The Ministry of Construction's intervention through an extraordinary inspection, which uncovered serious flaws in the urban planning project, was a critical step in validating the residents' concerns and leading to the permit's revocation.

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This side of the building has about thirty windows, these are not auxiliary rooms, we would de facto remain walled in and probably collapse.