A Record PLN 5 Billion for the Region! An Important Local Road to Be Reconstructed! Which One?

As reported by UMWD:

The largest amounts will go to transport, healthcare, agriculture and environmental protection, as well as culture, education and social integration.

– A record budget lies ahead of us. It is worth emphasising that, in terms of expenditure, we are Poland’s second-largest region – this shows that we are a strongly investment-oriented region. We intend to continue many of the initiatives we launched earlier, but a number of new initiatives that we want to carry out for the benefit of Lower Silesia residents also lie ahead. Many thanks to the coalition caucuses that successfully worked on this budget – says Paweł Gancarz, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.

Next year, the voivodeship’s local government will have more than PLN 4.9 billion at its disposal. This includes, among other things, the voivodeship’s revenues, which are PLN 324 million higher than this year. In addition, the amount reserved for so-called capital expenditure – that is, investment – exceeds PLN 2.7 billion. That is as much as was allocated for this purpose in total over the past three years. The most important investments include the New Oncology Hospital, the Eastern Wrocław Bypass, the revitalisation of railway lines and the construction of bypasses around Lower Silesian towns.

Roads and transport

The voivodeship authorities intend to allocate more than PLN 2.4 billion to road and railway projects. Under the budget of the Lower Silesian Roads and Railways Service, PLN 1.1 billion will be allocated to roads, more than PLN 453 million to railways, PLN 10 million to Cycle Routes, and more than PLN 182 million to removing the effects of natural disasters. In addition, the voivodeship will subsidise regional passenger rail services with PLN 443 million and allocate PLN 58 million to reimburse fare concessions on bus transport.

As in previous years, the voivodeship’s local government is continuing an ambitious, unprecedented nationwide, multi-year railway-line revitalisation project. It will include the revitalisation of railway lines 319, 326 and 341, including, among other things, the revitalisation of the Łagiewniki–Strzelin and Wrocław Psie Pole–Trzebnica lines. In addition, railway lines 310 (on the Kobierzyce–Łagiewniki Dzierżoniowskie–Piława Górna section) and 318 (Bielawa Zachodnia–Srebrna Góra) will be revitalised.

Among the road investments worth mentioning are the construction of the final section of the Eastern Wrocław Bypass, from the A4 Bielany Wrocławskie interchange to voivodeship road no. 395 (the Żerniki Wrocławskie roundabout) and on to Buforowa Street, as well as the construction of the Boguszów-Gorce bypass and the reconstruction of DW 297 between Lwówek Śląski and Pasiecznik.

Regional development

Next year, more than PLN 201 million has been earmarked to support regional development. Among other things, the voivodeship intends to increase its shareholdings and additional contributions in companies operating in the field of business development – more than PLN 20 million will be allocated for this purpose. In addition, the voivodeship’s local government also plans to continue the Going Global project, that is, Lower Silesian economic diplomacy. With the support of the voivodeship’s local government, businesses from our region will have the opportunity to participate in many international trade fairs, establish business contacts and gain new markets for their products. The project enables Lower Silesian businesses to establish a presence in European and global markets.

Regional development also means supporting the regional labour market, as well as the digital transformation of public administration and the development of public e-services. As part of the Lower Silesian Development Assistance Fund, the voivodeship will support Lower Silesian municipalities by awarding them grants to implement projects in the area of their own responsibilities that align with the Voivodeship Development Strategy. Since 2009, support has been granted to 125 municipalities (74% of the region’s municipalities) for the implementation of 519 projects, with the total value of the initiatives amounting to almost PLN 74 million.

Sport, tourism, education and science

Spending on sport will reach PLN 82 million, including PLN 68 million for the construction and modernisation of sports infrastructure, and more than PLN 14 million for supporting sports training and career development, as well as the promotion and popularisation of sport. More than PLN 231 million has been allocated to education and science. This amount will make it possible, among other things, to operate public psychological and educational counselling centres, carry out necessary renovations at Lower Silesian educational units and support a scholarship programme for particularly gifted students.

The tourism budget amounts to almost PLN 6.5 million. This will enable the promotion of tourism and the region’s tourist attractions, as well as increase the competitiveness of the regional tourism offer. The Lower Silesian Odra Fund and the Lower Silesian Caravanning Fund will also be eligible for funding.

Healthcare

Nearly PLN 937 million will be allocated to healthcare next year. The funds are earmarked for hospitals and units whose founding authority is the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Local Government. They will enable many projects improving, among other things, the quality of services in gynaecology, obstetrics and psychiatric treatment, as well as a record number of preventive programmes.
In addition, important healthcare infrastructure investments will be carried out, including the construction of an oncology hospital in Wrocław (PLN 266 million), the construction of a Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the J. Gromkowski Regional Specialist Hospital in Wrocław (PLN 19 million), and investments at the Regional Specialist Hospital in Legnica (PLN 16 million).

As part of the National Recovery Plan, healthcare projects with a total value exceeding PLN 390 million will be implemented in the region. They will include the development and modernisation of the infrastructure of highly specialised care centres, speeding up digital transformation processes and developing long-term care by modernising the infrastructure of healthcare entities at the county level.

Culture and cultural heritage

Next year, expenditure on culture in the region will reach PLN 234 million. More than PLN 152 million of this pool will be allocated to the day-to-day operations of Lower Silesian cultural institutions. Competitions for NGOs will absorb PLN 3 million, while PLN 12 million will go towards grants for heritage conservation work awarded through a competition.
The most important investments and renovations will include the modernisation of the chamber and main stages of the Polish Theatre (PLN 30 million), the renovation of the H. Modrzejewska Theatre in Legnica (PLN 11 million), and the renovation of the roof and revitalisation of the historic paper mill space at the Museum of Papermaking in Duszniki-Zdrój (PLN 7 million).

Agriculture and environmental protection

These areas will receive PLN 296 million, including PLN 66.5 million for the protection of agricultural land and PLN 2 million for the routine maintenance of water-management facilities. In addition, PLN 600,000 will go to municipalities and PLN 840,000 to counties for the construction of agricultural transport roads. PLN 8 million has been earmarked for the rural renewal programme, while another PLN 1 million will support initiatives related to the development of beekeeping. Lower Silesia is renowned for its regional products, which is why next year’s budget dedicates PLN 3 million to their support and promotion. This funding will make it possible, among other things, to create networks of regional producers and enable their participation in various agri-food fairs.