Among the draft resolutions was, for example, the previously widely consulted programme of cooperation between Legnica municipality and non-governmental organisations and other entities conducting public-benefit activities in 2015.
Another draft refers to the Study of conditions and directions of spatial development adopted at the September session, stating that all local spatial development plans in force in Legnica—there are approximately 120 of them—comply with the Study and remain fully up to date. The next two drafts concern the adoption of local spatial development plans. The first—for the Legnica Special Economic Zone—will enable the expansion of the area designated for investment; the second—for Piekary Stare—covering nearly 160 hectares, will create opportunities for economic and construction activity for residents of the area.
The councillors will also consider draft assumptions for a plan to supply the municipality with heat, electricity and gas fuels, defining the city’s energy security policy, as well as a resolution specifying the provision of city-budget grants to business entities replacing solid-fuel heating systems with ecological ones.
The most important document submitted to the City Council will be the draft Legnica Development Strategy for 2015–2020 Plus. The decision to begin work on the Strategy was made by the mayor of Legnica in an order dated 13 March 2013. At its session on 29 April 2013, the City Council adopted a resolution to begin drafting the Legnica City Development Strategy for 2015–2020 Plus. In September 2013, a tender was announced to select the contractor for the document; in October, the Poznań-based company Lider was selected. The workshop and thematic-team work began in February 2014. The completed draft was presented publicly on 25 September 2014. Comments could be submitted until 17 October. However, no new proposal was submitted.
“By its resolution, the City Council entrusted the mayor with the duty of creating the strategy, and I have fulfilled that duty,” said Tadeusz Krzakowski. “We gave the document a participatory character, creating it for the people of Legnica and with the involvement of a broad representation of residents. Together, we succeeded in creating a vision of the city’s development that is friendly to its residents, because Legnica is our shared concern,” added Tadeusz Krzakowski.
The strategy is offensive in character. It presents a vision of Legnica as an innovative city serving as a regional growth centre and developing administrative, scientific, healthcare, cultural, sports and tourism services on a supra-local scale. The document identifies five strategic objectives:
- Developing a modern economy based on innovation and increasing the city’s investment attractiveness
- Increasing Legnica’s importance as a regional centre of education, culture, tourism and sport
- Improving the quality and living conditions of Legnica’s residents
- Shaping an attractive public space and preserving cultural heritage sites
- Protecting and shaping the natural environment.
Numerous operational objectives have been assigned to each of them, and in turn, very specific tasks to be completed—such as road, infrastructure, social and recreational investments—located across all spheres of the city’s life.
Let us use the example presented by the mayor. Among the operational objectives supporting the first strategic objective was the modernisation and expansion of the public transport system of regional and supra-local importance. Within this framework, the strategy envisages the following investments: continuing the construction of an integrated traffic and public transport management system; creating an integrated system connecting the cities of the Legnica-Głogów Functional Area; constructing an interchange hub near the railway station; further reconstruction of Jaworzyńska Street; constructing a southern collector road from Jaworzyńska Street to Rzeczypospolitej Avenue, including a bridge over the Kaczawa; continuing construction of the south-eastern bypass; reconstructing Piłsudskiego Avenue and Sikorskiego Street; continuing reconstruction of Szczytnicka Street; reconstructing Chojnowska Street at its junction with the S3 expressway; and reconstructing Złotoryjska Street.
Legnica Municipal Office/ii