The debate about Klatering solar park in the municipality of Midden-Drenthe was stopped after three hours last night. The reason: councilors could not agree with the alderman and mayor on how to answer questions.
Opposition parties GemeentebelangenBBBondgenoot and Onhouden Midden-Drenthe asked for an extra municipal council. Just like residents, they have questions about the state of affairs.
The municipality chose the De Groenlanden solar park near the Klatering hamlet from a competition, also called a tender, for solar park plans in the municipality. The plan was chosen based on numerous themes, including ecology and water storage. The municipality can count on criticism on these two points in particular.
For example, there is a lot of uncertainty about the meadow bird area, which may or may not be relevant according to the latest maps. The independent assessment committee and some adjustments made to the documents by the municipality are also taken with a critical eye. “Unnecessary escalation,” the opposition calls it.
The Midden-Drenthe coalition consists of seven parties and has a large majority. But coalition parties also have their reservations.
“We have agreed to criteria about where a solar park could possibly be located. Or rather, where it should not be located,” says Henk van de Beek (GroenLinks). “This concerns the following areas: Nature Network Netherlands, Natura 2000, meadow bird areas, archaeological monuments, ash trees and valuable grasslands, beautiful stream valleys and new construction locations for housing. The outcome of the tender has therefore surprised us, because this is a meadow bird area.”
“You could find something about the composition. And you could also conclude that the rules have changed during the process,” says Henk De Weerd (VVD) hypothetically. “Can you imagine how residents have assessed the process conducted so far?”
But answers to the questions of some council members remain unanswered. Questions that, according to the council, were only submitted shortly in advance and more than thirty at the same time. “It is not an examination by the council,” says Mayor Jan Zwiers.
“There are many questions to which an unsatisfactory answer has been given or on which we do not agree. There are still so many questions open that we send them, they are answered and there will be a new meeting in three or four weeks,” Mayor Jan Zwiers concluded. “Otherwise we end up in a yes-or-no discussion and that doesn’t help anyone.”
What does follow immediately is an audit. At the initiative of the Positive Vooruit faction, a majority already agreed to having the procedures independently audited. Mayor Jan Zwiers initially also wanted to postpone that. “But we are not going to wait four weeks for the report. We can already send that signal now,” Van de Beek (GroenLinks) argued.
“It’s not just about solar parks, it’s also about the confidence of residents in their municipality,” says group leader Gineke Radix-Feijen (Positief Vooruit). “Clarity creates trust and trust is the basis of good governance. This is not an attack but an opportunity to improve so that we work better next time.”
Councilor Jan Schipper (CDA) is also pleased with the independent audit report. “We have nothing to hide.”