The matter in summary – In Grenland in Telemark, major natural interventions have been made to make way for business parks and factories. – The self-appointed environmental parties MDG, SV and Venstre have largely voted for these planning plans. – Jobs, income and infrastructure seem to weigh heavier than conservation of nature. – The Nature Conservancy is critical of the local politicians’ efforts for nature in Grenland. – The Google site in Skien is an example, where only Rødt voted against the regulation plan. – Local politicians are accused of overlooking that areas that are regulated for industry locally, also has a national consequence. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. If you look at the four largest projects in the Greenland area in Telemark, we are talking about areas of well over 10,000 acres. This corresponds to approximately five times the size of central Oslo. Then, among other things, forests must be cleared. Lots of forest. With a few exceptions, the self-appointed environmental parties MDG, SV and Venstre have voted for the planning plans locally. Jobs, income and infrastructure trump nature. Space for more business In Grenland, it is primarily about commercial plots. Large shops easily accessible from the E18, factories and business parks that need plenty of space. The largest projects are Grenlandsporten at Lønnebakke in Porsgrunn, the Google plot in Skien, Frier vest in Bamble and Langrøningen in the latter municipality. Frier west in Bamble: Here comes one of the country’s largest business parks on an area totaling just over 7,000 acres. Grenlandsporten in Porsgrunn: In connection with the development of the Grenlandsporten at Lønnebakke in Porsgrunn, around 500 acres of forest have been sacrificed to make way for a new business park of 930 acres. «Google plot» in Skien: The area is located by Gromstul in the north of Skien, a few kilometers outside the city centre. The plot is almost 2,000 acres. The final decision to build a data storage center has not been made. The forest has nevertheless already been removed.Langrøningen in Bamble: Today’s size of the Langrøningen is equivalent to around 40 football pitches. According to the plan, this area is to be doubled. Several larger chains have already opened stores here. The common denominator is that enormous amounts of forest have been sacrificed. With the politicians’ blessing. Jobs and income for the municipality seem to trump the preservation of hollow oaks, bogs, rivers and good old-fashioned forest in the relevant places. – Everything is crazy with that project. The Nature Conservation Association is not impressed by the local politicians’ efforts for nature in Grenland. – Disappointing, says local team leader Anne Mjelva. Anne Mjelva is leader of the Nature Conservancy’s local team in Grenland. Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news She believes the so-called Google site in Skien is a good example, where only Rødt voted against the zoning plan when it was adopted by the municipal council in 2018. The rest of the parties voted in favor. Including the self-proclaimed environmental parties Venstre, SV and MDG The plot is located at Gromstul in the north of Skien, a few kilometers outside the city centre. The data giant has bought almost 2,000 acres from forest owner Leopold Løvenskiold. The company is considering building a data storage centre, which the municipality hopes will generate both jobs and large revenues. A final investment decision has still not been taken, but the plot has nevertheless been cleared of forest. – Everything is crazy with that project. One can argue that it is only spruce fields from before, and therefore does not cause the major natural damage. But there is still forest and green space. A spruce field also absorbs CO₂. – Incomprehensible, she says. Anne Mjelva believes that the Google site in Skien is a glaring example of politicians not looking beyond their own municipal boundaries. Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news news’s mapping shows that thousands of natural areas are being sacrificed all over the country. Weekday. Mjelva believes that many local politicians overlook that areas that are regulated for industry locally also have a national consequence. – You kind of don’t see the forest for the trees. You look out of the window and think that there is more than enough to take off. But that’s not it, says the local team leader. – Not without reservations Helga Lilleland, group leader for SV in Skien, says that it was a long process leading up to a yes from their side. Helga Lilleland, SV’s group leader in Skien. Photo: Per-Åge Eriksen – It was not without misgivings and uncertainty. – At this point, we considered that the impact assessments were good, and that we chose jobs and development over nature. – Jobs and income trump nature. Are you then an environmental party? – Yes, but we are still a party that is strict in its assessments. We say no in many places where others say yes. It has happened a number of times in the municipalities’ spatial plan, she emphasizes. – We are an environmental party that is constantly beating ourselves up. With the exception of Rødt, all the politicians in Skien voted for the zoning plan at Gromstul. Photo: Nils Fridtjof Skumsvoll / news – Do you ever regret it? – We do not regret that we voted for the zoning plan, but we do have a troubled heart. We hope we get what we want on the Google property. Important infrastructure Marco Gozzi, spokesperson and group leader for the MDG in Skien, thinks the Nature Conservancy has several good points. Marco Gozzi, spokesperson and group leader in MDG Skien. Photo: Håkon Lie / news When it comes to the Google site in his municipality, however, he believes it was the right choice to vote for the zoning plan. – We have a need for this type of technical infrastructure, which is critical in relation to data security and the functioning of the country. We are digital and have to facilitate such things. It is something completely different to a car-based trading post along the E18, he points out. The Google site in Skien has already been cleared of forest, despite the fact that no final investment decision has been made by the new owners. Photo: Philip Hofgaard / news Gozzi nevertheless believes that the Nature Conservancy has a point. – Unfortunately, you see a tendency for local politicians to sacrifice nature in favor of jobs, but that is not what has happened here, says Gozzi, who follows the process closely. – What is strange is that they have been allowed to cut forests before an investment decision has been made up there. Nevertheless, they have cut. We are critical of that, he emphasizes.
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Enormous nature encroachment in Grenland – received the blessing of the environmental parties – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
