Entrepreneur Mark Meppelink from Coevorden was unpleasantly surprised by a penalty of 25,000 euros from the municipality of Coevorden. This all has to do with the showroom of his company Mooi Keukens, Tiles en Sanitair in Meppen, because his company is said to be in conflict with the Provincial Retail Policy. How exactly does that work?
According to the entrepreneur, there are double standards, because it is allowed a few hundred meters away from the plot. But that is in Mantinge, which falls under the municipality of Midden-Drenthe.
Meppelink submitted a draft request in May, then it will be examined whether a permit has a chance of success. The municipality then indicated that a showroom is not permitted because the plot is residential. “Companies are only allowed to sit in places that are intended for this purpose,” says a spokesperson for the municipality of Coevorden.
Despite the municipality’s response to the concept request, Meppelink continued with the showroom. The municipality then warned that a penalty would follow if he continued with this. “This means that the owner must pay if the showroom is not terminated by December 31, 2025.” After imposing the penalty, Meppelink still applied for a permit. “This application has been rejected because retail sales are not permitted at this location,” the municipality said.
The objection committee, like the municipality, says that the showroom plan is in conflict with the zoning plan. The committee did advise the municipality to dismiss the decision regarding the fine and the discontinuation of showroom activities, because it is not sufficiently motivated. This also applies to the amount of the penalty. “The committee advises the council not to uphold the contested decision to impose the penalty payment.”
The municipality confirms that the decision remains: “The objection committee has confirmed that there is a violation. The committee did recommend explaining the decision more clearly on a few points. This has been done and the decision remains. Enforcement matters are handled by lawyers and supervisors. A conversation with the council does not change the assessment and is therefore not done in these types of cases,” said the municipality’s spokesperson.
According to Meppelink, an objection had been filed against his permit: “From a neighbor who lives five hundred meters away. He would experience noise pollution, which is impossible.”
Small activities at home are permitted, but there are rules: the workspace may often be a maximum of one third of the home, it may not cause any nuisance to neighbors and the residential function must continue to exist.
The entrepreneur says he has tried several times to contact mayors and aldermen. “The communication from the municipality of Coevorden is terrible, I am extremely disappointed.”
Meppelink filed a complaint with the municipality at the end of October. He received a response that the municipality did not want to respond substantively to the complaint, because Meppelink can go to court. “The municipality has no obligation to handle complaints if there is an opportunity to appeal against that decision,” the letter to the entrepreneur states. The right of appeal refers to a higher court.
Finally, the municipality informed ZO!34 that they understand that it is drastic for the entrepreneur: “But the rules apply to everyone and were not followed in this case.”
The entrepreneur has now submitted a request to the King’s Commissioner of Drenthe. Meppelink: “To monitor this administrative failure and the inconsistency in the application of provincial policy.”