The court hearing in the case challenging the decision of the Sokolnyky Village Council on amendments to the master plan of the village of Sokolnyky and the construction of new buildings near Lviv International Airport has been postponed to another date.
The representatives of the state enterprise “Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport” applied for an adjournment of the hearing. They reported that they had drawn up a draft set of restrictions on the use of the area around the aerodrome and had submitted it to local self-government bodies. These restrictions are currently under consideration by the State Aviation Service, which must either approve them or provide comments.
Airport representatives explained that once a decision on the restrictions is adopted, they will be able to prepare additional explanations in the case, taking into account the new requirements for the use of the aerodrome vicinity. Judge Oksana Karpiak granted the application and scheduled the next hearing for 22 July.
The lawsuit against the Sokolnyky Village Council regarding amendments to the Sokolnyky master plan was initially filed both by Lviv International Airport and by Lviv City Council. The proceedings were later consolidated, after which Lviv City Council remained the sole claimant, while the airport is participating in the process as a third party.
Lviv City Council lawyer Olha Tarasovych noted that, in the city’s view, when adopting the amendments to the Sokolnyky master plan, the interests of the Lviv municipal territorial community were not taken into account, and the interests of Lviv International Airport were not fully considered either. That is why the City Council is seeking to have this decision declared invalid and to have the corresponding amendments to the master plan revoked.
Lviv City Council recalls that, on the city’s side, large-scale development near the airport has not been permitted for roughly 20 years. In Sokolnyky, by contrast, critics of the project argue that, under the slogan of developing the village, what is effectively being proposed is the creation of a new town without adequate infrastructure, which could create risks for residents and have negative consequences for the operation of the airport and for Lviv as a whole.
Lviv City Council is proposing an alternative vision for the development of the areas around the airfield which, in its view, should ensure the attraction of investment, the creation of jobs and the development of modern, European-standard transport infrastructure.