It is on or under it in the vicinity of the De Haar training ground. At the end of May, the Ministry of Defense will be a definitive answer about the possible expansion. For example, extra space, a practice village and a helicopter landing place are looked at. It is in particular the buy -out of homes and businesses for which most people in the area fear.
“We just don’t know where we stand,” said Marieke Dikboom of the Smilande farm shop earlier this year when the State Secretary announced to postpone his decision for two months. “It is already very uncertain whether there is a good future for young farmers at all and then this comes from a corner that I had not expected,” Boerin Maryse Martens also told RTV Drenthe about the search areas of BBB-Staatssecretary Gijs Tuinman.
Defense wants to expand the site on the side of the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, in Laaghalerveen by 200 to 400 hectares. That is almost a doubling of the current 400 hectare. The extra exercise room needs Defense to train 100 to 150 soldiers.
State Secretary Tuinman also knows that the expansion wishes entail a lot of uncertainty. It is not without reason that he visited Laaghalerveen last week. “Also in this phase it is important to keep listening. To worry about the future of agricultural companies, about recreation, liveability and nature in the environment. Those signals are clear and honestly shared with me today,” he wrote on social media.
Various authorities, companies and residents have therefore expressed their concerns. Business takeovers have been postponed and additional residents’ meetings have been organized. The municipality of Midden-Drenthe is also on top of it, although she also knows that the cabinet will eventually make the decision.
Residents in the area prefer to see that the Witterveld is chosen. That Natura2000 area is already in possession of defense. That way nobody needs to be bought out. “Let cows roar on the Veen and let the Witterveld fascinate defense,” was also the banners nearby.
Defense has had to buy out various residents and farmers in the construction of the current training ground in the 1980s. The chance of recurrence is realistic with the new plans. Chairman Henk Boer of Dorpsbelangen Laaghalerveen, Laaghalen and Hooghalen earlier: “Then there is nothing left of the Laaghalerveen region. Thirty years ago, half of the region was swallowed up by Defense.”
Nature organizations also hold their hearts. Defense has drawn search circles for the Witterveld, the Groote Zand and the Hijkerveld. On the other hand, nature organizations also see opportunities. For example, you could connect different nature reserves via the defense area, such as the Witterveld, Drentsche Aa, Hijkerveld. Nature could therefore develop further.
“If you combine the training ground with nature and also realize a sort of heathland, then the species that occur will move more easily from one area to another and then their habitat will increase,” said Judith van den Berg of Nature and Environmental Federation Drenthe.