PRIIDU PÄRNA ⟩ Owners of old buildings struggling with state bureaucracy

A non-motorized traffic route was constructed from Jaani Church in Valga to Lugaži Church in Valka in 2018. The path is not quite straight. The section in Valga was completed first. A visually disturbing half-demolished building at 19 Kesk Street cannot be demolished because it is in a heritage conservation area. The building belongs to the city. According to Urmas Möldre from Valga town government, the building cannot be renovated as it lacks a foundation. "We have announced a building rights competition to find an owner who would do something with the building," Möldre said. The building at 15 Kesk Street, (on the right) belongs to a private individual who can renovate it if desired. Photo: Glänel Tirrand Photo: Glänel Tirrand

• There are a total of 12 heritage conservation areas in Estonia, many of them are in poor condition.
• Has heritage conservation actually led to the opposite of the desired outcome?
• State heritage conservation areas were predominantly created in the 70s to protect historic centers.

The National Heritage Board has proposed ending the Valga heritage conservation area. It no longer meets the criteria for state protection and the area has not ensured the preservation of the historic town center. The deputy chairman of the Estonian Homeowners Association and member of Isamaa shares his views on this issue.

The situation in Valga raises the issue of unintended consequences—heritage conservation may have led to the deterioration of valuable buildings rather than their preservation. There are 12 heritage conservation areas in Estonia, and many are in dismal condition. The old buildings along the main streets are unused and decaying because their renovation is expensive and entails much bureaucracy, while local governments have instead encouraged development around suburban shopping centers.

Why should we need government permission to dig a hole for an apple tree in our garden?

Restoring these buildings is costly and complex due to numerous additional requirements such as heritage conservation conditions, the necessity for various studies, and the limitation to using only specially licensed, expensive service providers. The freedom to use different materials is restricted, and coordinating building activities requires approvals from both municipal and state authorities. Meanwhile, the state provides only minimal financial support.

State heritage conservation areas were mainly established in the 70s when there was a need to protect historic urban spaces from the Soviet construction boom. The Valga conservation area, however, was only created in 1995 and spans several hectares. Essentially, such protected areas are a legacy of the Soviet era, where everything was state-controlled and centralized, and local governments as we know them did not exist.

In a modern democratic society, the state does not interfere in local matters. The responsibility for local planning and granting building permits lies within the core competencies of local governments, and state intervention is unnecessary here. The Homeowners Association is of the opinion that state heritage conservation areas should be abolished throughout Estonia, and responsibility should be given to local governments. Why should decisions be made from Pikk Street in Tallinn about whether in Valga, at the other end of Estonia, it is permissible to plant a yew tree, install barriers, or choose roofing materials? Why should we need government permission to dig a hole for an apple tree in our garden? There are no state heritage conservation areas in other Western and Northern European countries. People's lives and environments should be managed at the local level.

The local government of Valga feels slighted by the state's decision to remove the heritage designation. We should instead think in the opposite direction. It is great that state intervention in Valga's internal affairs is ending, and the local community and their elected representatives can decide on urban development themselves. Owners of buildings in central Valga can sort their affairs at the town hall without suffering under additional bureaucracy.

The state will still be able to protect individual valuable objects that have been declared architectural monuments. Naturally, greater freedom comes with greater responsibility. Autonomous local governments were not created in the 90s for them to gradually delegate all their tasks back to the state and become mere village councils. The state should be interested in strong and financially capable municipalities that can independently resolve local issues.