The apartment in Klárov will probably be addressed again by the city hall and the ministry

Prague - The Lion on Klárov may once again have to be addressed by the city hall and the ministry. Officials from Prague 1 issued a decision for its removal, but they only want to provoke further discussions. They claim it is the only way to ensure that the statue can remain in place. This was stated to ČTK by the head of the construction department of Prague 1, Oldřich Dajbych. However, the city hall called on Prague 1 to remove the illegal status, which they consider to be the placement of the statue without permission.
    "Already two or perhaps three weeks ago, I issued a decision that, once it becomes legally binding, should see the lion removed within 12 months," Dajbych explained. According to him, it is the only option for the officials of the city hall and the ministry to begin dealing with the statue again.
    There is an appeal against the new decision of Prague 1, along with another request for review at the Ministry of Culture, which has already rejected it once for lack of merit. However, according to Dajbych, there are other remedies available, including an appeal to Brussels.
    The city hall urged Prague 1 to remove the illegal status within one month, as reported by its spokesperson Petra Hrubá. They view the zoning approval granted by the officials of Prague 1 as illegal. "The heritage preservation department submitted a suggestion for a review of the zoning approval because the basis for its issuance was not the binding opinion, which is required by law. The zoning approval was issued in violation of the law," Hrubá stated. Currently, the city hall department is conducting an administrative proceeding with Prague 1, which has not yet been conclusively resolved.
    "The department cannot order the removal of the monument," the spokesperson added. Prague heritage preservationists also criticize the actions of Prague 1 and the British embassy, claiming that they applied for permission too late and without adequate discussion.
    The statue, in the form of a two-meter winged lion, is situated on Klárov on a concrete pedestal covered with granite. The funds for the statue were raised by Britons living in the Czech Republic based on the design by British sculptor Colin Spofforth, as a thank you for the heroism of Czechoslovak pilots serving in the ranks of the British RAF.
    A similar case occurred in Prague back in 2009. At that time, the city hall deemed the placement of the pedestal for the statue of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko as illegal because Prague 5 did not have all the necessary permits for it. However, the statue ultimately remained in place, and the city district was fined 9,000 crowns.