Helsinki wants to expand to western parts of Sipoo

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Moves are underway to link western parts of the municipality of Sipoo with the City of Helsinki. Helsingin Sanomat has learned that political discussions have been held on such a move, but that no permanent decisions have yet been made.
      Questions of timing and other technical details have been an obstacle to finalising such a move.
     
Helsinki would like to expand to West Sipoo, where it already owns large areas of land. Sipoo has taken a negative view of the project. However, such a move is possible even without Sipoo’s consent, as land areas can be switched from one municipality to another on the basis of a unilateral decision by the government.
      Rules governing the annexation of areas of one municipal entity by another are not very strict, if the territory to be given away is less than ten percent of the surface area of the municipality in question, or if the number of residents is less than five percent of its population.
      In other cases, especially weighty reasons are required. These could include the prospect of improving the functional and economic viability of the municipalities in question.
     
An initiative to alter the municipal border could be made by the City of Helsinki, for instance.
      Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen (Nat. Coalition Party) will not say if Helsinki is preparing an initiative to the Ministry of the Interior for the annexation of West Sipoo by Helsinki.
      "I cannot answer that. These things have been considered."
      Suvi Savolainen of the Ministry of the Interior says that there is "nothing pending" concerning the possible linkage of parts of Sipoo with Helsinki.
     
Changing municipal lines is not unusual in Finland, even when one of the communities involved opposes the move. For instance, last year the government ordered such an arrangement between Kauhava and Kortesjärvi in Southern Ostrobothnia.
      On the practical level, the actual shift in the municipal border could take place no earlier than the beginning of 2008. The timetable would require a government decision on the matter by the end of June next year.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Mayor Pajunen says Helsinki could expand to land it owns in Sipoo (16.1.2006)
  Cities of Helsinki metropolitan area agree on closer cooperation at joint session (23.5.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat