The ministries involved already concluded in March 2025: the closure of the village of Moerdijk is the best option for all parties. This is evident from documents that Omroep Brabant obtained after a request for access to all relevant documents (a Woo request). The conversations with residents of Moerdijk had yet to start at that time, they were presented with the choice of whether or not to work ‘around the village’.
The news causes outrage in the village. “If the government already drew this conclusion in March, we never had a fair chance for an alternative,” residents respond.
Omroep Brabant requested several documents about the decision-making surrounding the future of the village of Moerdijk. This makes it clear what the roles were of the various parties involved, and when exactly what was decided.
‘Demolition’
“In the long term, demolition (demolition, ed.) appears to be not only the best option for the government, but also for regional quality of life,” is stated in a decision memorandum from the government, sent on March 27, 2025 and drawn up with the approval of all ministries involved.
We now know that many parties think this way, but the timing of this statement is special: the participation process in which residents of the village could have their say had yet to start in March 2025. They were presented with two options. Building to the east of the current industrial estate, where the village is now located, or to the south-east of the industrial estate, so that the village can probably remain.
The usefulness of participation
From what is stated in the memorandum, it seems that residents actually had no real say. Pim Meijer from the Dorpstafel Moerdijk was involved in the many consultation evenings with residents, he says: “If the government already drew this conclusion in March 2025, the entire participation process about conditions for the search directions was pointless and for the stage, the province and the municipality were never taken seriously, and – without being aware of this – we never had a fair chance at an alternative.” He calls the course of events ‘shocking’ and ‘downright disrespectful’.
*You can read the entire response from the Village Table below this article.
The municipality of Moerdijk sees it differently. “The participation was not about choosing a development direction. Discussions were held with residents about the consequences of the two search directions for them and what should be arranged for them if one of the search directions were actually chosen. In short: the participation was about formulating preconditions,” says a spokesperson. Shortly afterwards, he emphasized that he had not yet been aware of the March note.
‘Deserve an honest story’
For Meijer from the Dorpstafel Moerdijk, that explanation is insufficient. “In that case, participation regarding preconditions is for the stage, because the village only has to give way when the search direction east is chosen. In short: if the government had already made a choice before determining the last two search directions, everything after that would have had little or no significance.”
Reading the note evokes emotions for Meijer. “As the Village Table, we have always taken a constructive and respectful position in the process, and we will continue to do so. But reading these types of passages evokes feelings of anger, sadness and suspicion among us and the residents of our village, and it causes confidence in the process and the authorities to decrease even further. Moerdijkers deserve an honest story.”
The Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning (VRO) did not want to respond substantively to questions from Omroep Brabant.
*Response Village Table Moerdijk.
The Village Table Moerdijk came up with an extensive response to the news. You can read it in full here:
As the Village Table, we have taken note of the internal government decision note (March 27, 2025) that became available from the Woo request. We are very surprised by a number of passages from this memorandum and we find a number of other passages downright shocking.
We are surprised to read that the government does not see itself as the main cause of the pressure on our living environment. Without the instructions from the government, the survival of our village would not be in question. We also read that it is crucial that residents support the school of thought in which the village must disappear, and that only then is it a school of thought that can be discussed. There has never been support for this school of thought among residents and there never will be. This has been made clear in all discussions with the government. The government must now conclude that the disappearance of the village is an undiscussable line of thought, as it itself writes in this decision note.
In addition, the government writes that it has always taken the interests of residents into account. That is absolutely not what residents have experienced, what we are dealing with this open letter in EW magazine also clearly emphasize,
We find it shocking to read that the government concluded in March 2025 that our village cannot continue to exist if we have to realize the national tasks. The decision note was written before the last two search directions were even determined, and during that time (March 2025) there was no contact with residents. If the government already drew this conclusion in March 2025, the entire participation process regarding conditions for the search directions was pointless and for the stage, the province and municipality were never taken seriously, and – without being aware of this – we never had a fair chance at an alternative. In addition, it is downright disrespectful to residents that more than a year after this conclusion, no one from the government has communicated openly and honestly about this.
As residents, we have been repeatedly told by the authorities that the task can only be achieved in Moerdijk and is not possible anywhere else. In this decision note we read that moving the assignment to another location is possible to a limited extent. That is something other than impossible, and it gives us the feeling that the task is being pushed through in Moerdijk at the expense of our village, while other options – even if limited – have not been considered as a serious alternative. This is about the survival of our village and we don’t want to leave. Every other option must have been researched and considered down to the last detail. That is the least the government owes us.
Finally, we find it shocking to read that the 380Kv station – which the port authority has indicated is actually the only one it needs – can be realized within the fences; even though this would be technically difficult to implement. Residents of Moerdijk have always been told that there is no room within the fences to realize the task. We conclude that there has been no honest communication with us as residents due to the economic interests of the governments and the port authority.
As the Village Table, we have always acted constructively and respectfully in the process, and we will continue to do so. But reading passages like this evokes feelings of anger, sadness and suspicion in us and in the residents of our village, and it causes confidence in the process and the authorities to decrease even further. Moerdijkers deserve an honest story. We want our village to continue to exist, and we want the government to do everything it can to ensure that this happens. We don’t have that feeling now.
Also read
Meanwhile in Moerdijk
How do you continue to live as normally as possible when you have been told that the village where you have lived for years, or perhaps even where you were born, must disappear? In the monthly series Meanwhile in Moerdijkcan be seen at Brabant+we follow some residents and show their daily lives. The series can be viewed for free and without an account.
