Despite protests from local residents Pöschwies prison allowed to clear protected forest
Pöschwies Prison in Regensdorf has been allowed to clear a section of forest to improve security - despite protests from local residents and an encroachment on a protected landscape area.
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- Despite opposition from the local population, Pöschwies Prison has been granted permission to increase the security distance by clearing woodland.
- This involves clearing 2300 square meters of protected forest in the Katzensee landscape area.
- The authorities and the Federal Commission for the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage value the security of the prison more highly than nature conservation.
According to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, Switzerland's largest correctional facility, Pöschwies Prison in Regensdorf ZH, has prevailed against local residents. It wants to improve security and significantly increase the distance between the prison wall and the outer fence. However, this requires 2300 square meters of forest to be cleared.
This has led to criticism from local residents, as forest paths, Vita-Parcours and a barbecue area will have to be relocated. The area is also located in the nationally protected Katzensee landscape area.
Throwing in weapons and drugs should be made more difficult
After several appeals and improvements, the permit has now been granted, according to the Tages-Anzeiger. The building appeals court had overturned an initial approval and requested, among other things, an expert opinion from the Federal Commission for the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.
This placed the security of the prison above the protection of the woodland in question. A clearing permit was also granted.
The security of Pöschwies Prison was of public interest, the canton stated in a general ruling. The expansion was intended to make it more difficult to throw in weapons, cell phones or drugs and to detect drones earlier.