The "bruxit" is over: After a long debate, the Brunnthal municipal council decided on Wednesday (March 3rd) to leave the inter-municipal wind power working group (Arge) Hofoldinger Forst.
A bang, but not a lasting setback, as Otterfings Mayor Michael Falkenhahn emphasizes.
Otterfing / Brunnthal
- Surprisingly, Brunnthal withdraws from the Arge Hofoldinger Forst.
This means that there are only three communities left who want to jointly build community wind turbines along the A8.
For Otterfings Town Hall chief Michael Falkenhahn (SPD) regrettable, but not a broken leg: Instead of four, the planning will now be continued with three wind turbines on Otterfinger, Sauerlacher and Ayinger Flur: "I don't think that Brunnthal's exit will delay the schedule."
The Miesbach district office, which is currently chairing the consortium, is responsible for processing the "bruxite".
As press spokeswoman Sophie Stadler announced, the three remaining municipalities and the Arge districts of Miesbach and Munich now have to decide how they want to continue the project.
“There is also a virtual meeting of the consortium,” announced Stadler.
If it is up to the chairman of the consortium, Olaf von Löwis (CSU), the current timetable will remain.
"The wind energy project in the Hofoldinger Forest is a unique opportunity for ecological energy generation close to home", emphasized the district administrator;
this would mean that the region would take a "giant step towards the energy transition."
The site security agreement with the state forests must be adapted
Brunnthal's exit, the decision was made with 11: 8 votes, requires a change to the consortium agreements and the site security contract that the consortium has concluded with the Bavarian State Forests (BaySF).
"It's about adjustments, not changes in content," says Falkenhahn.
The district office also assumes that the schedule can be kept.
"However, it is unclear how long the additional negotiations will take."
The democratic decision of the neighboring community should be respected, says the Otterfingen town hall chief, "but I don't think that the people of Brunnthal have decided to their advantage".
It is true that the BaySf supervisory board has decided in principle to only allow wind turbines in the state forest if the local community agrees.
"But Brunnthal cannot influence possible wind turbines in neighboring communities," explained Falkenhahn.
Theoretically, it would be conceivable that the consortium could find a replacement location in the remaining three municipalities and continue to consider four wind turbines.
However, the new location would have to undergo time-consuming preliminary investigations again.
Falkenhahn also considers it foreseeable that the State Forestry Supervisory Board will give in to the growing pressure of climate protection policy and overturn the municipal veto.
"In my opinion, this is not sustainable in the long term."
The next decision will be made in Aying on March 9th
Otterfing, Sauerlach and the Miesbach district (environmental committee) have already decided to push ahead with the wind power project (we reported).
On March 9th, the Aying local council wants to advise;
The position of the Munich district committees is also still open.
The rest of the schedule provides for the approval process to start this year.
The citizens' wind turbines could go into operation in 2023.
As Falkenhahn explained, information events for citizens of the consortium are planned from mid-April.
Concerted resistance to the wind power plans in the Hofoldinger Forest has so far been limited to Brunnthal.
Before the "Bruxit" meeting of the local council, a protest group made itself felt with posters, whistling concerts and drums.
Mayor Stefan Kern (CSU) campaigned in vain in the committee to remain in the consortium.
The “Bruxit” proponents in the council justified their rejection of the consortium plans with the argument that too much valuable forest would have to be sacrificed.
"We take a critical look at the Amazon and tear aisles in the forest ourselves," said Matthias Amtmann (UBW).
Opponents of wind power such as Jürgen Gott (UBW) are now relying on the veto right granted by the state forests.
For Mayor Kern, the issue of wind power in the Hofoldinger Forest has been dealt with from Brunnthal's point of view.
But he is sure: "There's still a lot of music in there."
Further information on the subject can be found here.