Despite the diligent work of builders, they cannot keep up with the demand for apartments. Therefore, the state encourages the population to engage in individual construction in every possible way.
The land management service maintains a record of available land plots. Currently, there are 25 plots of 15 ares and one of 12 ares available in the city. Ten plots are located on Klyashtorny Street, six on Kotsarev Street, five on Przhevalsky Street, two on Minskaya Street, and one each on Yakub Kolas Street, Korolenko Street, and Yuzhny Lane.
In rural settlements, land plots are larger – from 15 to 25 ares. In Bobrovsky village council, three plots in Bobr and one in Zavadino are considered available; in Gorsky – two in Budishche; Staysky – eight in Yurkovshchina, five in Zaozerye, four each in Podlobny, Selishche, and Voran, two in Den'guby, one in Okana; Kamensky – eight in Kamennoye, two in Myageli, one each in Dvor-Babcha, Kurmelyovka, Parechcha, Gubin, Dvor-Parechcha; Volosavitsky – one each in Novye Volosovichi and Kamshchina; Pyshnyansky – one each in Krivtsy and Punishche; Slobodsky – two in Rudnya, one each in Sloboda and Verabki.
Plots in settlements located near lakes are in the highest demand in rural areas. These are the villages of Bor and Pozemshchina of Kamensky village council, Dvoryshcha and Zavidichi of Lepel village council, Okana, Selishche, and Voran of Staysky village council. Such land plots are sold at auctions. For example, in 2009, 28 plots were sold, and this year – 25 plots, for a total amount of 105 and 94 million rubles, respectively. The proceeds are used for the development of infrastructure and the social sphere of rural settlements, and for the preparation of new land cadastres for plots intended for construction.
Every villager who needs to improve their housing conditions has the right to receive any available land plot for construction in their village council, even one prepared for auction, free of charge.
Areas of mass individual housing development in Lepel are considered to be the South-1 microdistrict (between Orsha Highway and the Minsk -- Vitebsk highway) and Sovetskaya -- Chuykova (near the petrol station). Previously, a developer would obtain documentation for a plot and arrange for electricity supply, access roads, etc. themselves. On 27 July 2009, Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 983 was adopted, which established provisions for the procedure of financing, design, construction, and reconstruction of engineering and transport infrastructure facilities for residential development areas, including individual housing. Currently, before allocating plots in areas of mass individual housing development, utilities are being laid – power lines, roads, gas pipelines, and water supply systems.
The first developers in the South-1 microdistrict, in the absence of roads, used to leave their cars on Orsha Highway and trudge through mud in rubber boots to their new homes. Following the adoption of the Resolution, the situation has fundamentally changed. Before plots are allocated, infrastructure is created. In 2009, 1,199,550 million roubles were allocated for infrastructure facilities in the mass private housing development areas of South-1 and Sovetskaya -- Chuykova; last year, 1,695,975 million roubles were allocated.
On 22 February 2011, Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 65 “On Certain Issues of Financing Construction of Engineering and Transport Infrastructure Facilities for Residential Development Areas and Infrastructure Facilities of the Nuclear Power Plant in the Republic of Belarus” was issued, which provides for an increase in the volume of financing for the construction of infrastructure facilities in areas of mass individual housing development. The final amounts have not yet been approved, but it is already known that they will be several times higher than the previous ones.
Uladzimir SHUSHKEVICH