Varna Takes a Step Forward: Municipal Council Approves Groundbreaking Disability Center
With 40 “yes” votes, the Municipal Council in Varna accepted late yesterday the proposal to provide funding from the municipality’s budget for the preparation of an application project under the procedure for three social services in the “Vazrazhdane” district. We remind you that the citizens of Varna, with the support of the councilors of the party “Vazrazhdane”, raised a signature against the construction of services for people with intellectual disabilities, which blocked the funding point in the Municipal Council earlier this week.
In the end, it was decided to provide BGN 142,000 municipal funds for the design. However, in order to approve the project proposal and complete a contract for the provision of funding from the Recovery and Sustainability Plan, the Municipality needs to have an approved investment project with a building permit issued. The land intended for the social centers will remain with this purpose, so that Varna will not lose over BGN 3.87 million from the Recovery and Sustainability Mechanism, Radio Varna reported.
The municipal councilors also decided to draw up a Detailed Development Plan and an investment project for a nursery in a nearby municipal property, for which funds will be provided from the budget of the Municipality of Varna for 2025. Therefore, the Municipality of Varna will provide property in the neighborhood for the construction of a nursery garden with nursery groups.
Urban property with an area of almost 6.7 decares in “Vazrazhdane” is planned for the three new services. The total budget determined for Varna is just over 3.88 million BGN.
The money will be used for construction, distribution, installation of equipment and furniture, organization and project management.
The Municipality of Varna undertakes to maintain the social services created under the procedure for at least 5 years after the completion of the investment activities and the approval of the request for final payment by the Monitoring and Reporting Structure. According to deputy mayor Snezhana Apostolova, when presenting the project documentation, all requirements were met and approval was obtained from the Social Services Quality Agency regarding the location of the property and the accessibility of services.
The implementation of the project must be completed by June 30, 2026. After the completion of the activities, the services will become delegated activities of the state and will be managed by the Municipality of Varna.
Two of the social services will relate to residential care for adults with intellectual disabilities. It is also intended to create a center for specialist support for people with disabilities and their families.
The project remains in jeopardy
However, a protest from the District Prosecutor’s Office – Varna may stop the project for building social services in Varna, despite the positive decision of the local authorities, warned the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC).
“The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee welcomes the decision of the municipal administration in Varna not to abandon the project to build services for children and adults with disabilities. The decision of the Municipal Council to approve the funding worth BGN 142 thousand, and which will then be recovered with European funds.
Despite the Council’s positive decision, the case remains extremely worrying.
In addition to a signature from the residents of the neighborhood, against the decision of the Municipal Council on September 26, 2024 to build the services, there is a protest from the Varna District Prosecutor’s Office – a fact that fell out of the media’s attention, but it may turn out to be important for the future of the project.”indicated by BHK.
The arguments with which the Office of the District Prosecutor-Varna challenges the construction of the center for people with disabilities are related to the coordination with the regional governor, which happened after the committee’s vote, as well as inconsistency with the architectural style of the neighbourhood. Case 2462/2024 of the Administrative Court – Varna is pending and its consideration is yet to come, but the uncharacteristic inaction of the prosecutor’s office raises a number of questions. Supervision of legality, according to which the protest of the prosecutor’s office was filed, should be an activity of the state to support vulnerable people. In the specific case, the protest can stop the construction of the centers completely.
The history of choosing where to build social services is not trivial. The land was proposed and approved in the last possible days to submit the project for European funding, after reviewing 26 other properties that were either too small or too remote. Among them were plots in suburban villages and some without access to running water.
“People with disabilities should receive support and care in their community, be able to move easily to them, and their relatives should be relieved. Push them out of the city, present them as a public threat, suggesting that their presence would create risks to the children in the neighborhood are more than discriminatory.indicated by BHK.