The castle in the middle of the village of Gemert is cherished by the inhabitants. Everyone has a nice memory of it. Last year, the renovation of the enormous castle, which had been empty for years, started. There are also plans for the lands around the building. And not everyone agrees with that: a petition has already been signed more than 1600 times.
The oldest part of the castle dates from the end of the 14th century. The building is completely under construction. But that’s not what the protest is about: “Everyone agrees that something should be done about it,” says Jan Bekx, one of the activists. “We are concerned about the green environment.”
The castle will house luxury apartments, a hotel, a restaurant, a museum and a wellness center. Some of the apartments have already been sold. Project developer Bas van de Laar is in talks with two international hotel chains.
New houses and a parking space are planned on the lands around the castle. The latter is therefore against the sore leg of Bekx and his supporters.
“The green heart of Gemert must be preserved. And if that environment is already affected, is there still a reason not to go a step further in the future? Look at Helmond castle, which has become a puppet castle due to the damaged surroundings.”
For example, Bekx is concerned about the walled former vegetable garden of the fathers who lived there. New construction is planned there and a vegetable garden for the restaurant. “On the other side of the garden is a very characteristic Brabant neighborhood. In our view, it belongs to the castle. If you put new construction in between, it will be lost.” The activists would rather see a beautiful garden there.
Project developer and lord of the castle Bas van de Laar is surprised about the petition. “I also had it on my bus. And as a resident of Gemert I was really surprised about it. There are misleading images on it. The row of trees around the castle would be completely built up, but that is not the reality.”
“It is really not the case that we are going to build everything here. The parking lot has been sunk, so that the view of the castle remains the same. All hiking trails will be preserved. The environment will continue to have the same tranquility and appearance.”
According to the project developer, the new construction is badly needed financially. “The proceeds are very important to be able to renovate the castle and preserve it for the future.” Van de Laar emphasizes that the walled garden near the castle is built low, so that it does not protrude too much above the wall.
The project developer hopes to be finished with the entire project in 2025. He will also live there. “It’s my life’s work.”
In the meantime, activist Jan Bekx hopes for a different interpretation of the area around the castle. “You can do so many other things with it. You don’t find such a beautiful outdoor area around a castle in Brabant anymore.”
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