The arrival of a wall along the quay in the old harbor in Terheijden has raised eyebrows in the village. The water board wants to build the wall almost one meter high to protect the inhabitants against flooding at high water. But they are not waiting for that. “That wall deprives us of the view of the harbor and that is very unfortunate,” says Tony van Geel, who lives at the harbour.
The harbor is located between the Mark and the Kleine Schans, which were built here at the end of the sixteenth century by the Spanish army during the Eighty Years’ War. But that doesn’t mean it has official monument status. And that’s where the shoe pinches.
Petra Kimmel of Tourist Traaie explains: “Because the harbor is not a monument, the Brabantse Delta water board can build such a wall here. And we do not agree with that. We want to keep the unobstructed view of the harbor and only have a temporary barrier which can be set up and dismantled again in the event of imminent high water. We are going to set up a ‘high water brigade’ in the village for this. And we now have almost 70 volunteers who want to take care of this.”
But the Brabantse Delta water board has no confidence in a voluntary brigade that springs into action when the water threatens to get too high. This is apparent from the rejection that the residents received for their plan. That’s why they go to court. The high water brigade will soon have to demonstrate to the Council of State that it is a good alternative to the permanent wall of the water board.
Kimmel also hopes that the municipality of Drimmelen will help to save the face of the harbor in Terheijden: “If the municipality designates this harbor as a protected village landscape, it helps to achieve such a demountable barrier.”
Meanwhile, Tony van Geel peers outside and looks at the boats in the harbor. The foot ferry, the ferry, leaves for Breda in the pouring rain. Not only does he fear for his unobstructed view of the idyllic harbour, he also mourns the coming clearing: “Due to the planned raising of the dike, all the large old trees on the other side and the weeping willows along the harbor will disappear. It will soon become a sad affair here. ”