Compulsion to the flowering meadow in the garden: "Is that patronizing or not?"

Created: 05/19/2022, 12:02 p.m

By: Wolfgang Schörner

More flowering meadows: Among other things, this is what the statute is about;

here on Bahnhofstrasse.

© Wolfgang Schörner

Gardens with flowering meadows full of native wild plants - all building committee members liked that on Tuesday.

But can you force builders to do this?

There was a basic discussion about this at the meeting.

After three hours, a defused version of a green statute was available.

Penzberg – Penzberg has been talking about a “green preservation” statute for some time.

A year ago, the parliamentary group of “Penzberg Together” (PM) proposed such a statute in order to maintain or create a “green network” of flowering and green spaces in the city center.

She argued that the city can make specifications in development plan areas, but not in unplanned areas.

“Increase greenery in the city”

On Tuesday evening, the building committee now had a draft statute that refers to new buildings, i.e. leaves existing gardens untouched.

The aim is to "increase greening in the city and limit or reduce the degree of sealing," explained the city's environmental and climate protection department.

Natural garden designer Ingrid Völker from Großweil gave a lecture on this.

There are still too many paved areas, she said, and promoted native wild plants, flowering meadows, dry stone walls and bird baths in gardens.

Should builders be forced into natural gardens and flowering meadows?

Such natural gardens were welcomed by the entire building committee.

The situation was different when it came to the question of whether builders should be forced to create, for example, ten percent of the garden as a flowering area with native wild flowers.

"Some see this as an encroachment on private property," said Jack Eberl (FLP).

“And who should control that?” He advocated preferring to rely on advice.

"We all don't want rock gardens," said Armin Jabs (BfP).

However, he does not believe that a statute is necessary for this.

His faction relies on "voluntary and persuasive instead of coercion", preferably by the city leading the way on their land.

There is agreement on the goal, but not on whether the statute is the way to get there, added Maria Probst (CSU).

John-Christian Eilert (Greens), on the other hand, asked whether there was an example in the past

Mayor: "Is that patronizing or not?"

Hardi Lenk (SPD) said his parliamentary group found it difficult to coerce and would rather rely on advice.

On the other hand, one cannot lean back.

"We're not in such a good position," said Lenk.

He therefore suggested meetings with builders.

Mayor Stefan Korpan (CSU) mentioned settlement tours with experts as a possibility.

Faced with the by-laws, he asked the question, “Is this patronizing or not?” He recommended that the councilors who have to decide on this should look at their own gardens and also ask if they have a photovoltaic system and an electric car .

Rainer Schömig from the construction supervision in the district office also commented on the statute.

Planning applications will take longer to process.

He described the draft itself as very difficult to read and confusing for the average citizen.

Heike Grosser, District Advisor for Horticulture and Land Conservation, raised the question of who will check the implementation.

But she also explained that there is a deficit in garden design in the district.

The committee agrees on the ban on gravel gardens

After this debate, the committee dissected the draft paragraph by paragraph.

For example, the majority (against PM and Greens) deleted the passages that “a tree of the third growth order” should be planted for every 300 square meters of land and that windowless facades of outbuildings and commercial buildings should be greened.

It is not compulsory, but only a recommendation that ten percent of the garden should be a flowering meadow.

The amount of the fine for an intentional or negligent violation was also deleted: "up to 500,000 euros".

Which changes nothing, since this sum is in the Bavarian building regulations.

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A ban on pure gravel gardens was retained.

Permitted designs are limited to a maximum stone content of 40 percent.

The greening of flat roofs and specifications for fences were also left as they were.

Thuj hedges were not completely banned.

They should be permitted for a maximum of 40 percent of the hedge length.

After three hours, the committee voted for the defused draft.

Only Armin Jabs said "No" because he sees a separate statute for it as superfluous.

The city council will now discuss the draft next, possibly at the end of May.