Residents, entrepreneurs and social organizations affected by the expansion of the De Haar military training area in Assen have presented a final compensation offer. They do this together with the municipalities of Midden-Drenthe and Assen.
Tomorrow the offer will be presented to Derk Boswijk (CDA), the State Secretary for Defense, in Hooghalen.
In general, those involved and municipalities argue for clarity, care and fair and generous compensation. “The expansion of the De Haar training area deeply affects our community,” says Mayor Jan Zwiers of Midden-Drenthe.
Zwiers says he understands that Defense has a ‘security task’, but also sees what that decision does to local residents. According to him, there is a lot of uncertainty and concerns about their future.
“It cannot be the case that the burden of a national task ends up unilaterally in this area. Residents want clarity about what awaits them. Defense as a good neighbor, that is the starting point,” says Zwiers.
The points below are referred to in the bid as ‘the minimum lower limit of what Defense is obliged to arrange’.
- Decreased value of homes or plots due to reduced tranquility, changed views or restrictions on use must be compensated.
- In order not to overburden villages and hamlets, activities that cause nuisance, such as noise, vibrations and light, must be moved to the inner area. There will be buffer zones, outside of which activities will be allowed to take place with little disruption.
- Agreements will be made for adapted driving routes for Defense, so that residents are not surprised by heavy defense equipment. Homes, agricultural businesses and pieces of land remain accessible.
- There must be an exercise calendar that provides insight into when intensive exercises take place; when nighttime use is permitted and which periods are quieter.
- Damage caused by heavy equipment or temporary closures is handled quickly and easily. Advance payments are possible in urgent situations.
- Vulnerable areas are protected, especially during the breeding season. Walking and cycling paths remain accessible. Where this is temporarily not possible, alternatives are offered.
The above points form the basis of what Defense should arrange. The municipality wants more, because the consequences for those affected in the area are great.
For example, those directly affected who cannot stay in the same place should not remain in uncertainty for an unnecessarily long time. Generous compensation must be provided and the affected families must be assisted in finding a new location. In addition, a fallback arrangement is necessary: protection in case agreements change or procedures take longer than expected.
For others, whose companies are affected because part of the land falls within the training area, tailor-made solutions are required. Because loss of land leads to reduced production, extra costs and disrupted business operations, it is stated.
Advance payments must also be possible, so that families and companies that are affected do not encounter financial problems while procedures are still ongoing.
In the draft offer, people who formally fall outside the standard compensation did not feel heard. They are not moved, but their environment changes dramatically. Neighbors leave and businesses disappear.
This is taken into account in the final offer. For them, compensation is about recognizing the nuisance, decrease in value and restrictions on use that they experience as a result of the expansion. There must also be an arrangement for this.
The desire for a quality of life and area fund, as described in the earlier concept, remains. The quality of life fund must continue to exist for the entire duration that Defense exercises in De Haar. In the draft version, this would be a maximum of ten years.
With money from the fund, village buildings can be made more sustainable and there will be more opportunities for exercise and recreation. While the quality of life fund focuses on daily well-being, the area fund focuses, among other things, on infrastructure and the construction of new homes around the area.
With the expansion of De Haar, the municipality also sees opportunities for the region. It must become a so-called residential and mobility hub. This requires improvements to roads, public transport, the station and facilities.
This is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense, but it has been promised to raise the wishes with other ministries. More homes also need to be built in Hooghalen, Smilde and on the east side of Beilen.
