After complaint

State confirms controversial warehouse in St. Pölten

Only a few weeks ago, citizens protested at the planned site and more than 3,000 signatures were collected.

(Bild: Harald Schorm)

A huge fresh food storage facility in the south of St. Pölten has been given the green light once again. According to the province, it does not conflict with a flood project. The city sees its work vindicated, opponents want to fight on.

The construction of a large fresh food warehouse by the Rewe Group on 17 hectares in the south of the provincial capital is one step closer - even if it is still mainly lawyers who are currently involved. Most recently, those of the state were in demand. This was preceded by a supervisory complaint to the Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government by the St. Pölten Green Party.

Rezoning demanded
They had invoked the Spatial Planning Act because the area is located in the danger zone of a 100-year flood (HQ100). "We are calling for the entire floodplain to be designated as a retention area, as is now mandatory for HQ100 areas under the Lower Austrian Spatial Planning Act," said party spokesperson Christina Engel-Unterberger.

However, the state has now decided that "in order to ensure the best possible use and protection of the habitat, there is no obligation to designate areas for which a flood protection project has already been drawn up and concrete steps have been taken for official approval". The planned Rewe warehouse can therefore be built. SPÖ Mayor Matthias Stadler sees the work in the town hall confirmed - once again: "Using this area with the best transport connections not only makes sense from an ecological point of view in terms of efficient routes, but also strengthens the business location."

We've been pretty much spat at and even shouted at. But now it has been confirmed: Rewe can build and still needs flood protection.

Vizebürgermeister Harald Ludwig

Just under three months ago, the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) had its turn. Two environmental protection organizations had lodged an appeal against the state's decision not to require an environmental impact assessment for the flood protection project. However, the BVwG dismissed the appeal as unfounded.

"Serious work"
The new "stage victory" is a source of satisfaction for SPÖ Deputy Mayor Harald Ludwig. "Of course you can have different opinions, but we've already been pretty chewed out and even shouted at. But you can see that serious work has been done." Ludwig, however, expects that this latest court decision will also be contested. Engel-Unterberger: "Why the state is paving the way for the sealing of 17 hectares of farmland instead of giving the rivers space is incomprehensible to us from a spatial planning perspective."