The proposed in the MP guidelines for spatial planning development are based on the integrated approach towards the historic urban landscape launched in the Recommendation of UNESCO as well as on the adopted method for integrated conservation especially appropriate for the territory that is a World Heritage site, being simultaneously a living town, as well as part of one of the most powerful tourist agglomerations in the country. The MP offers the following guidelines in this field:
Providing of uniform frame for regional development
In order to overcome the present contradictory and inconsistent development policy on the territory, the MP offers the following measures:
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Conforming of all documents for regional development at national, regional, municipal and local levels (according to the Regional Development Act), as well as all sector strategic and planning documents, concerning the property, with the policy for its protection, use and management – in this process priority role plays the state;
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The development an Integrated plan for sustainable urban development, that should support the application of the operative programmes of the European Union for financing of projects on the territory of ” The Ancient City of Nessebar” and its buffer zone;
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Elaboration of co-ordinated system of spatial plans at various levels, where special attention would be given to the Master Plan of the municipality and the Detailed Spatial Plan of the property and its buffer zone. The co-ordination between the plans, according to the ideas of the MP, will give the chance to settle at higher territorial level the problems, which are unsolved at the level of the property (for instance de-concentration of functions as parking, trade, services, etc. in a larger territorial context outside the property);
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Implementation of specialised plans and schemes, that have proven their efficiency in international practice – as the proposed Conservation Master Plan;
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Execution of integrated investment initiatives especially in priority zones with public character and significance, aiming to achieve a complex result.
Development of Detailed Spatial Plan – Regulation and Building Plan (DSP- RBP)
The MP recommends DSP-RBP to be developed for the full scope of the protected territories considering the following guidelines for spatial development of this territory (SCHEME № 15: Guidelines for spatial development of the World Heritage Site and its buffer zone):
Scheme 15: Guidelines for spatial development of the World Heritage Site and its buffer zone
Spatial planning development of the property:
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Complete conformity with the proposed protection regimes and their development through specific rules and regulations, in the spirit of the requirements of the World Heritage Committee for ”clear operational plans strictly limiting the development in the property”;
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Creation of planning basis for the development of the functional systems on the territory in accordance with the adopted in the MP guidelines in this field. In this respect the MP recommends a spatial planning strategy, which should overcome the present congestion of the Ancient City with commercial sites, service, transport, car parking, etc. that endanger its outstanding universal value. This could be achieved by using the inner reserves of the territory as well as by displacing functions: from the property to the buffer zone; from the buffer zone to the New Town and the municipal territory. This strategy is verified by the good international practices.
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Setting of zones for integrated planning and complex renovation, for which will be done precise co-ordination of all activities and investment initiatives (for instance archaeological investigations, conservation, renovation of the technical infrastructure, urban design, landscaping, etc.) – as means for achieving of complex quality of the urban environment. They will be pilot models of integrated conservation, use and management of the property, with a strong impact on the future spatial planning activity in it. The MP considers as such zones the ones along the local cultural tourism route ”Road of Spirit” of the pilot product № 3 ”Faith in Nessebar” – (for instance the environment around the churches of St. John the Baptist, St. Paraskeva, St. Archangels), in order to achieve quick effect on the development of cultural tourism in the property.
Spatial planning development of the buffer zone:
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Complying with the regulated protection regimes of the buffer zone with its new boundaries and with the prescriptions;
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Special attention to the planning of the reception area in front of the Gate aiming at its future harmonisation in accordance with the role of the area for the approach to the property and its information and transport service;
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In the spatial planning of the port and commercial areas in the regions of the north and the south port as well as the port in the buffer zone on the mainland, should be provided their designation for: transport infrastructure and commercial service, eating places, public urban events, and public green spaces. The transformation of the zones should be gradual and by stages, parallel to provision of alternatives of car parking in buffer car parks outside the property. For this purpose, the MP accepts the proposal of the Municipality of Nessebar that the zone of the north car park should be treated as a ‘zone for seasonal stage-by-stage car parking in green environment’.
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Conforming to the recommendations of the World Heritage Committee for special approach to the coastal territories of the peninsula and the area of the isthmus, now to some extent discredited. The Plan proposes that coastal territories should be developed as calm green areas in conformity with the traditional silhouette and contacts of the property with the sea; and should be designed in a contemporary way with alleys, platforms, urban furniture, illumination, etc.;
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Creation of a zone for exhibit of archaeological sites within a park environment in the central and northern parts of the buffer zone of the mainland – exhibit of the Necropolis of Messambria-Messemvria-Nessebar, connected to the New Town through transitional area to north-west.
The indicated recommendations of the MP for the buffer zone are entirely in the spirit of the decisions of the World Heritage Committee and the requirements for the buffer zones of the World Heritage sites (Guidelines, § 103-107).
During the Public Discussion of the MP were made numerous remarks and recommendations addressing the future Detailed Spatial Plan of the territory, which will be used for the preparation of its assignment.
Management of the development activity
In accordance with the recommendations of the 34th and the 35th sessions of the World Heritage Committee to “declare a temporary construction moratorium within the buffer zone of the property and its sea coast line prior to the approval of adequate and effective protective juridical regulations”, the MP proposes in the period until the introduction of the regimes and the adoption of DSP-RBP to be imposed, according to Article 198 of the Spatial Development Act, construction ban in the protected territories. That means that for each new project in the property and the buffer zone should be applied obligatory study of its visual impact on the outstanding universal value of the property following the methodology of ICOMOS recommended by the World Heritage Committee. For that purpose the planned 3D model of the property will be extremely useful.
The MP recommends special approach to the legally built-up, but ”inappropriate” buildings, evaluated as inharmonious and contradicting to the outstanding universal value of the property. It is important that the MP identifies them in a clear and unambiguous way, as subject of series of specialised measures foreseen during the whole period of duration of the plan – constant monitoring, harmonising, reconstruction, reduction of their parameters, etc.
Programme activities
The MP proposes the elaboration of key spatial plans (Master Plan, DSP-RBP) to become priority of the spatial planning policy, concerning the property. The following programming of activities is proposed for that purpose:
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Within the frames of Programme 2012 for urgent actions are planned the following activities: finalisation of the Master Plan and starting of preparatory works on DSP-RBP: development of assignment, in correspondence with the MP and organising of procedures for selection of executor. The MP recommends a competition to be held for the selection (following the Ordinance for competitions, DCM № 75/2009). It is recommended in the same period to be imposed a construction ban on the entire territory covered by the MP.
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Within the frames of the Working Programme 2013 with work-schedule is proposed to be finalised, adopted and authorised DSP-RBP and to be developed plan-scheme for the organisation of the mass public transport.
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During the period of the Long-term Programme 2012-2032 is planned to develop the elaboration of spatial plans for the green areas, of the archaeological parks, etc.