Mayor Richard Korteland of Meppel. Photo: Marcel Jurian de Jong
Will the terraces remain open on Thursday Meppeldag (DMD) in the evenings after nine o’clock? Pending the permit application from DMD, the municipality of Meppel sees no obstacles. According to Mayor Korteland, a shortage of enforcers is not an issue.
Mayor Richard Korteland completely distanced himself in strong terms from the reporting in this newspaper last Wednesday. It stated that the municipality intended to close the outdoor terraces at 9 p.m. during DMD. ‘Absolute nonsense’, Korteland wrote on Facebook. ‘Which is in any case correct: the catering industry is open as usual. I hope for a nice summer with great events’.
Korteland emphasizes that the municipality sees no problems in opening evening terraces and that there is no shortage of enforcers.
“The opening hours of terraces have never been discussed,” said a spokesman for the municipality. The municipality and the organization have jointly reached agreement on the frameworks within which a permit application can be granted. “We are now waiting for that request.”
The organization of Thursday Meppeldag will wait with a substantive response until after the weekend.