The College of Mayor and Aldermen of the municipality of Assen is getting busy this week. Four parties have asked written questions about the hospitality industry in the city center of Assen. Council members are now worried about two cafés against problems because they would produce too much sound.
The VVD, Leefbaar Assen, List van Brakel and Assen focuses on the asser nightlife and the youth policy of the city. Yesterday it was announced that hospitality operator Geert in Velde is pulling the plug from the popular Feestcafé Auttenieq on the Markt, after he was told at the end of February that his café is producing too much sound. A month earlier it became clear that Muziekcafé De Witte Bal should put a sound limiter on the amplifier. This in response to a complaint from 2022. Live music can now forget the café.
“I find it inappropriate,” says councilor Luc Rengers of Assen Centraal. He points to vacant stores in the center that have been converted into homes. “Then you know that you’re sitting in the neighborhood of Horeca. I don’t understand that you are going to complain that there is too much noise.” Moreover, the councilor finds it remarkable that something of three years ago is being investigated now.
ASSEN Central also asked B&W a month ago and now again. Especially since Autentieq has an important function for young people in the city. “The youth have fled to Groningen in recent years. If you want to get them back to here, with the ambition to be a student city, then you should do this,” said Rengers.
The councilors are afraid that more cafés will follow that will be confronted with the sound rules. Rengers believes that there should be a solution. “I want a human approach. If you have a cafe then you know that sound comes out. With all the ambitions we have in Assen, it just has to be solved.”
The owner of Feestcafé Auttenieq does not want to wait any longer. “I want to look ahead, do beautiful things. I’m not going to wait for years until clarity comes. So I’m going to think about a different interpretation of the cafe,” said Te Velde.