Some opposition parties were critical on Thursday about the turn the cabinet has taken regarding whether or not to abolish Moerdijk. At the end of May, State Secretary Jo-Annes de Bat (Climate, CDA) reported that a scenario in which the village can continue to exist is ‘more emphatically’ in the picture. There will be no cabinet decision this month, contrary to what was previously announced.
The village wants clarity, but the cabinet does not opt for that, argued Christian Union MP Pieter Grinwis. He fears that preserving Moerdijk would only provide temporary relief for residents. “When will the next problem arise?”
State Secretary De Bat was not at the debate, but Minister Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan (Public Housing and Spatial Planning, D66) was. Several MPs felt that she should exert more influence on the process. Ranjith Clemminck of JA21 called on the minister to go to Moerdijk.
“People have been waiting for a long time and just want clarity,” said Peter de Groot of coalition party VVD. He called on the minister to enter into discussions with the municipality and province.
Preservation of village
BBB, among others, wants Moerdijk to be preserved. MP Femke Wiersma is therefore ‘cautiously positive’ that there has been more room for preserving the village. But she also believes that the cabinet ‘should not present residents with a sausage again’.
One person is the ‘main spokesperson’ on this file, Minister Boekholt-O’Sullivan responded. “And that is the State Secretary for Climate and Green Growth.” She did say that she is following the subject and promised to go to Moerdijk soon.
Space will be needed around Moerdijk for national energy projects in the coming years. The new scenario has a ‘scaled-down ambition’, the minister said. “That’s possible if you don’t want to accept certain consequences.”
When Clemminck repeated that it has been a ‘worthless process’ so far, Boekholt-O’Sullivan replied that it has been done ‘carefully’ during this cabinet period. There will be a separate debate about Moerdijk later this month.
Here you can read all the stories about the possible disappearance of the village of Moerdijk.