Residents of the capital's "Krasnaya Derevnya" microdistrict have finally won a long-awaited victory in the fight to preserve the green zone, where the developer LLP "Fiesta Hall" had already felled all the trees, despite the illegality of its actions. The Akimat of Astana cancelled the permit for the construction of a residential building, and a new public garden for citizens will appear on the site of the planned development.
The history of this site is complicated. As a reminder, residents of "Krasnaya Derevnya" independently created and maintained the green zone for several years, planting trees and shrubs. However, the landowner, LLP "Fiesta Hall", intended to build a multi-storey residential building there.
As far back as May last year, the protocol of the Astana Akimat recommended a revision of the Detailed Planning Plan (DPP), proposing to change the intended use of the disputed land from "residential building" to "public garden". However, on 14 June 2024, the prosecutor's office of the Almaty district demanded the cancellation of this decision, and on 9 August the recommendation was annulled.
In December 2024, the situation changed again. On 17 December, public discussions were held at the initiative of the office of the Akim of the Almaty district, where the issue of creating a public garden on this site was considered. The voting results were almost unanimous: 94 participants voted "in favour", no one was "against", and only one person abstained.
Obviously, these results did not suit LLP "Fiesta Hall". In January 2025, the developer took decisive action. On 15 January, the court approved an agreement between the company and the Department of Environmental Protection, under which the department was to issue a permit for tree felling. Although the court decision had not yet entered into force, the permit was already issued on 20 January.
Local residents reacted immediately. On 21 January, they filed a complaint against this court decision, stating that no one had taken their opinion into account when issuing the permit. On 22 January, residents also filed a separate lawsuit against the Department of Environmental Protection, demanding that the felling permit itself be annulled.
Without waiting for court rulings, on 19 February the developer began felling trees. According to local activists, residents tried to stop the work themselves, urging the workers not to destroy the trees. Despite the intervention of the police and a representative of the Akimat, who asked the developer to postpone the felling, LLP "Fiesta Hall" ignored all pleas. The felled trees were sawn into small pieces and removed, and the remaining branches were burned on the spot.
On 27 February, the Judicial Panel for Administrative Cases of the Astana Court issued the first decision favourable to the residents, overturning the initial ruling of the Specialised Inter-District Administrative Court and sending the case back for a new hearing. Unfortunately, by this time the trees had already been destroyed.
On 18 March, the Specialised Inter-District Administrative Court of Astana made another decision in favour of the residents, declaring the tree felling permit illegal and revoking it. The court also issued a special ruling to the Akim of Astana regarding the violations, for appropriate measures to be taken and those responsible to be held accountable.
On the same day, the court dismissed the developer's lawsuit, which had attempted to challenge the protocol of the public discussions on placing a public garden on this site.
It is important to note that according to the Astana General Plan until 2035, adopted in January 2024, this site is designated as a recreational zone, where the construction of facilities not related to public leisure is prohibited.
The culmination of the struggle came with the decision on 26 March, when the Astana Akimat cancelled the permit for the construction of the residential building. According to local residents, all construction work on the site has been completely halted as of now.
This year, the final amendment of the Detailed Planning Plan for the site to a public garden is expected, after which the district Akimat should begin landscaping of the area.
Despite the already felled trees, the residents of "Krasnaya Derevnya" managed to defend the site. Activists now intend to seek punishment for the developer for its illegal actions.
The story of "Krasnaya Derevnya" clearly demonstrates that the activity and civic-mindedness of residents, their persistence and firm civic stance can indeed influence the decisions of the authorities and improve the urban environment for the better. Despite temporary defeats and obstacles, the collective efforts of the residents led to victory over the commercial interests of the developer, showing the effectiveness of civic participation in protecting public spaces and the city's green zones.