Landveränderung im Vorhof zugunsten eines ehemaligen Gemeinderatsmitglieds

In the small town of Preddvor, located near Kranj, local authorities have approved changes to the municipal spatial plan that favor a former council member. The revised plan, effective since June 20, allows for the conversion of agricultural land into tourist accommodation, benefiting a company owned by Miran Perko, who once served as the mayor’s advisor during the planning phase. His wife, Tanja Perko, has become a key figure in this development. Tanja Perko acquired three parcels of agricultural land in Srednja Bela, a village near Kranj, in May 2020. She had previously sold another parcel in the same area to her husband's company. At the time of the sale, she was unaware that the new owners would later seek to change the land use designation for commercial purposes. According to land registry records, Tanja Perko registered ownership of one of these parcels in May 2020. By March 2021, she had also acquired two adjacent parcels, giving her control over approximately 3,000 square meters of land in the region. Srednja Bela, surrounded by forests and meadows, had a population of 427 residents at the beginning of this year. The three parcels Tanja Perko acquired were all classified as agricultural land. Shortly after their acquisition, the process of changing the land use began. The initial proposals for modifying the municipal spatial plan (OPN) were published in 2021, and the municipality officially informed the public of the changes in August 2024. During the public announcement, officials stated that the investor or proposer of the changes decided to convert the agricultural land into tourist accommodations due to high demand for such services in the municipality. Preddvor recorded growth in tourist arrivals and revenue in 2018 and 2019, before Tanja Perko became the owner of the mentioned parcels. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, in its opinion on the draft spatial plan, noted that the municipality could lose agricultural land through the proposed changes. As a result, the ministry recommended that another nearby forested land with similar size should be converted into a substitute agricultural plot. The Forest Office issued a so-called cutting decision in response. Although the municipality did not respond directly to questions regarding the identity of the proposer of the changes and the private investor, they claimed they “do not have permission to provide such a response.” This summer, a visit to Lake Črnava, which lies four kilometers away from Srednja Bela, highlighted the ongoing developments in the area. During the public release of the updated draft of the spatial plan in October 2024, part of land owned by a third party was included in the proposed changes. This land, originally designated for agriculture, was adjacent to Tanja Perko’s parcels. However, the owner of this land opposed the change in land use. In a comment submitted to the publicly released spatial plan, the owner stated that they had not proposed the change themselves. The municipality partially considered this objection and asserted that the land would remain agricultural. Whether the June 20 approval of the changes and additions to the spatial plan took this commitment into account remains unclear based on available documentation. The final approvals for the changes and additions to the spatial plan for Srednja Bela were confirmed by the municipal council members on June 10, making the changes official from June 20 onwards. For years, preparatory work for the changes and updates to the spatial plan for the area around Srednja Bela had been underway. In 2021, Miran Perko was still serving as a council member, while his wife, Tanja Perko, held the position of chairperson of the municipal oversight board from 2018 to 2022. Her company, Ore alda, has been operating since 2010, initially engaged in production, trade, intermediary services, and consulting. In December 2023, the couple decided to focus primarily on hospitality and accommodation businesses.