Szeged residents outraged by Chinese company seeking property in Hungary

Residents in Szeged, Hungary, have been devastated by the news that the Chinese company BYD is to build a new factory within one of their residential gardens.

New Chinese factory BYD

The Chinese BYD factory has chosen Szeged to build its first European car manufacturing plant. Despite recent secrecy surrounding the project, an overwhelming majority of residents reportedly support this “environmental and industrial investment.”

However, contrary to the sentiments expressed by Szeged Mayor László Botka, a significant number of young adult families residing in Liliom Lakókert oppose the investment. One resident lamented, “This was meant to be a tranquil, family-oriented neighbourhood,” as quoted by telex.hu.

“Last Friday, three Chinese guys were here. They were drone-driving, and when I started talking to one of the neighbours, they came to ask about available houses for sale or rent,” shared a Szeged resident.

Szeged residents do not want a factory

Discontent among Szeged residents is evident, with many expressing “outrage that an industrial park is being built here, even though it could be on the other side of the motorway”. Having said that, others have no fundamental objection to the factory itself, as it would be a closed plant that would not disturb the peace and quiet of the residents.

However, the construction of the factory would involve an extension of the 502 bypass. Moreover, a four-lane road would run along a stretch of the end of the gardens, where there are now ploughs or empty plots. Consequently, it would inconvenience many residents.

The entire industrial park is slated to be situated on the urban side, with only a small section extending beyond the border, housing a railway terminal.

The purple will be the BYD, with the Lily Residential Garden visible at bottom right, with the continuation of Route 502 being built on the northeast edge. Although this will not be introduced into the housing estate, environmental impacts will be present (Photo: Szeged MJV Municipality)

Another polled resident said that she had not heard of the factory construction but only of a smaller industrial park project. While a couple with dogs complained about the increased noise in the area compared to a few years ago, questioning whether the vacant land would be developed later. They also raised doubts about battery production or other chemical activities occurring at the factory. “Why bother with separate logistics for the battery when they have the entire assembly process here from scratch?” – they wondered. Despite official statements denying battery production in Szeged, concerns persist.

Water supply poses another challenge, as the factory’s high water demand raises fears of residents receiving contaminated or poor quality drinking water. Additionally, one woman expressed worries about the influx of guest workers potentially leading to conflicts within the community.