Dispute over new building in Burglesum: Citizens demand preservation of the townscape!

Dispute over new building in Burglesum: Citizens demand preservation of the townscape!

In Burglesum, a planned construction project at Lesumer Kirche 6 is causing a lot of talk. While some citizens praise the initiative of developer Bekim Dervishaj and the modern architecture, there is resistance. The discussion is not only about the appearance of the new house, but also about the preservation of the historic townscape. Critics see the draft as significant violations of the existing development plans and the conservation statutes, which is causing quite a stir Weser courier reported.

Dervishaj plans to build a four-story building with a flat roof on the currently vacant site, which will house a café on the ground floor and residential units on the upper floors. There is currently an approximately 200-year-old house that has been unused for over ten years and whose renovation was deemed impractical. So apartments on the site could theoretically bring in nice business for the region.

Dispute over architecture

The critics, including the citizens' initiative and many residents, are concerned about the modern-looking architecture. They fear that the new building will not fit into the historic ambience of the market square. At an advisory board meeting that took place in June, local politicians voted in favor of the project with a narrow majority of 9 to 7. But the question remains: How much modern densification is acceptable without endangering the historic cityscape?

The architect Philipp Romeiser defends the project and emphasizes that Dervishaj is not deterred by the criticism. However, in response to a request to revise the plans, the advisory board refused to vote on the statement again, which further heated up tempers. Local office manager Florian Boehlke explains that the advisory boards only give an opinion, while the decision on the building application is made somewhere else.

A look at citizen participation

Another sticking point in the discussion is citizen participation. There is great potential here: According to Section 137 of the BauGB, the involvement of citizens in urban development processes is of great importance. In a successful project, citizens should not just be mere spectators, but active participants. This promotes identification with the district and could also help Burglesum to take various perspectives and concerns into account. How the Söder newsletter states, this active participation is essential for social cohesion.

The Lesum local history association and the St. Martini parish have already expressed their concerns and see the loss of historical values ​​as a threat. It remains to be seen whether Dervishaj and the responsible authorities are prepared to take these concerns seriously and find a balance between modern construction projects and the preservation of the historic townscape. Ultimately, the future of the construction project will say a lot about the attitude of the citizens and those involved - a development that will certainly remain exciting.