Revoke the permit and start over. The objections committee writes this in a harsh letter about the way in which the municipality of Hoogeveen has arranged the coffee shop permit.
According to the committee, things went seriously wrong with the implementation. The municipality was not transparent and changed the rules halfway through the procedure, meaning that entrepreneurs did not have equal opportunities.
The committee held a special hearing in September. It turned out that not all submitted plans from entrepreneurs had been fully assessed, documents had been lost and communication was shaky.
The errors are so serious that the permit is legally invalid, the committee states. According to her, the municipality can no longer repair this with minor repairs and the entire procedure will have to be done again.
The permit went to entrepreneurs from Maassluis. They, like dozens of others, submitted a plan to open a coffee shop and scored the most points. The plan is to establish The Q in Grote Kerkstraat.
Other entrepreneurs soon came to their defense. A coffee shop owner from Meppel submitted two plans, one for the Schutstraat and one for the Grote Kerkstraat. However, the latter location was never assessed by the municipality.
Moreover, many entrepreneurs did not know that they could submit an application for multiple locations. They speak of poor communication from the municipality. Conditions also changed just before the deadline, making it impossible to submit a good plan, according to them.
The committee recommends withdrawing the permit and redesigning the entire process. The question is whether Mayor Martijn Breukelman will follow that advice.
In a letter he writes that he will look into the issue in the coming period. The municipal council is expected to be updated on the situation and what will happen next in December at the latest.