Not from the plush, but in the field: members of the Provincial Council were present in Barger-Compascuum last night. The aim was to support the realization of long-cherished village plans, such as more homes and a multifunctional village hall.
The intention is that this experiment will also be copied in more places in Drenthe, such as Hollandscheveld and Assen-Oost.
“Who still has faith in politics?”, states member Roy Pruisscher (ChristenUnie) asks the roughly 30 villagers present in community center De Collink. Not one hand goes up. Pruisscher calls it a serious problem for the government: the distance that has arisen between citizens and government.
A solution does not seem readily available. But looking up society, like tonight, seems to be an important step in the eyes of the members of the States present. In addition to Pruisscher, Fenneke Mensen-Maat of the PvdA and Hendrikus Velzing of Forum for Democracy were also present.
The Barger-Compascuum Aan Zet project resulted from this, explains Pruisscher. With a village at the table, mapping out the most important wishes and making concrete plans for this. Residents must unite in working groups to keep up the pressure.
“It is therefore not the intention that they do all the work themselves,” says Pruisscher. “But they are in charge, while we help.” In addition to Barger-Compascuum, similar projects are also being started in Hollandscheveld and Assen-Oost.
But the project is gaining momentum in the Southeast Drenthe village. Several meetings have already taken place and an enormous laundry list of wishes has been reduced to four key points. More homes, the arrival of a multifunctional village house, refurbishing the path around the fish pond and maintenance of the Veenvaart.
Villager Louis Veldhuis thinks more homes are necessary to maintain Barger-Compascuum as a village. The elderly and young people should be given the opportunity to stay in their own village. “In addition, you guarantee the maintenance of facilities and the local middle class in the village,” argues Veldhuis.
These local facilities, such as the GP post, neighborhood care and the football canteen are spread across the village. Placing them centrally in one place also helps, Veldhuis thinks.
In the coming period it is the intention that working groups will be formed and the plans will be put into a definitive form. Barger-Compascuum benefits from this, Veldhuis emphasizes. “If you don’t do anything, there will soon no longer be a village. Just a collection of houses.”