Major industrial establishment is expected in Narvik and Rana municipality in the coming years. The municipalities, which for many years have experienced a decline in population and jobs, are grasping with both hands for large players who can turn the tide. The possibility of applying to the government to become a so-called “free municipality” will now be subject to political consideration in both municipalities. – We have a completely unique opportunity with the players who have announced their arrival in Narvik. Then faster case processing on a number of things may be absolutely necessary, says assistant councilor in Narvik municipality Lars Normann Andersen to news. It was the newspaper Fremover that mentioned the case first. FREE SLIP: Assistant councilor in Narvik municipality wants to be able to decide for himself which objections are to be taken into account and which are not. Photo: Frida Brembo / news Wants the last word He is referring to Aker’s green industrial venture in Narvik. The group has acquired large areas to build, among other things, a data center and a steel mill. Teco 2030 has also launched major plans, such as the establishment of a fuel cell factory. In Rana, Freyr is establishing a battery factory, and an industrial park with many new jobs is already in place. Both municipalities want to become the green industrial capital in Norway. Normann Andersen explains that the purpose of free municipalities is to allow local politicians to decide more. They must use their local knowledge to make the best decisions for society. Becoming a free municipality means that the municipalities are exempt from regulations and laws in certain areas. For Narvik and Rana, the idea is that the municipalities should have the last word on objections in the Planning and Building Act. Today, it is the case that all objections must be processed, whether they come from residents, landowners or government agencies. It is time-consuming for the municipalities, but also a right everyone has when big plans are to be adopted. – Everyone wants to have the opportunity to continue giving their objections, but the last word must lie with the local politicians and not with the state authorities, says Normann Andersen. Free municipality Free municipality is a municipality or county municipality that is exempt from certain laws, regulations or other provisions as part of experimental activities. Various free municipality trials were in operation from 1986 until the new Municipal Act was adopted in 1992. The scheme applied to four county municipalities and 20 primary municipalities. A main goal of the free municipality trials was to improve the public service provision to the citizens and to get the best possible use of resources in the municipal or county council activities. Source: snl.no Too much bureaucracy It is expected that the government will present the free municipality experiment as part of the national budget this autumn. The Ministry of Local Government and Local Government with the then Municipal and District Minister Bjørn Arild Gram visited Denmark this spring to be inspired by free municipalities. Denmark has selected seven municipalities which for three years will be allowed to manage various welfare areas as they wish. Almost without following government regulations. It tempts the industrial municipalities. – It is incredibly important that Narvik does not become a bottleneck in the future industrial establishments, says Normann Andersen. – So that means that the citizens’ objections can be opted out? – The municipal board must not disregard the objections, but assess what the objections mean for the ongoing case and take the best decision for the local community, says Normann Andersen. – Are there too many objections? – It is not really about objections from citizens, but to a greater extent about state authorities. Normann Andersen believes that today there is too much bureaucracy, which takes too long. The consequence is that large players find other places to establish themselves. – Absurd The proposal is due for political consideration in the chairmanship of Rana as early as next week. Deputy head of the Nature Conservation Association, Pernille Bonnevie Hansen, tells news that she fears the free municipality scheme will affect both nature and the residents of the relevant municipalities. Deputy head of the Nature Conservation Association Pernille Hansen believes it is absurd that the industrial municipalities will become free municipalities in terms of the Planning and Building Act. Photo: Fartein Rudjord – We are a nationwide organization that spends our time writing objections and following processes so that the plans of the municipalities will be the best for nature. She thinks it is completely absurd that the municipalities are considering taking away the opportunity to get involved in the development of the municipality. – We are afraid that our rights on behalf of nature and the citizens’ rights will disappear, she says. Therefore, she completely disagrees that the municipalities have to go through too much bureaucracy in the current regulations. – It is now once again the case that it is with interference and involvement that we get the best plans, both for the future and the earth. It must be allowed to take time, says Hansen. Assistant councilor in Narvik municipality, Lars Normann Andersen, believes for his part that the professional authorities at the State have such different needs that the objections to the municipality’s plans are opposed to each other. – We try to avoid actors withdrawing because case processing takes too long. Free municipalities can be a tool. Something must be done, we cannot sit still in the boat, he says. – Must find a balance Local Government and District Minister Sigbjørn Gjelsvik tells news that giving the municipalities the opportunity to apply to become free municipalities can make the municipalities develop better services. – We want to give the municipalities greater leeway than they have today to think of new solutions and to cooperate to a greater extent today. Local Government and District Minister Sigbjørn Gjelsvik believes that the free municipality scheme will open up new opportunities for the municipalities. Photo: Kristoffer Steffensen Lenes / news He says this is to address the great challenge but also the great opportunities the municipalities have. – Narvik is a good example of that. They have plans for large industrial establishments there. We will look at how we can facilitate this in the future as well. – Does a municipal council in a city like Narvik have enough competence to decide on state units? – Here we have to find a good balance where we must still have national laws, rules and planning systems. Within the framework of that, we need to see how we can give the municipalities greater room for action than they have today. According to Tonje Torsgard in KS, several municipalities have shown an interest in becoming free municipalities, but none have been as clear in their desire as Narvik and Rana.
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Industrial municipalities ask the government to avoid legislation – news Nordland
