The credit application for the building plans on the north side of Roden caused an almost ‘un-Noordenveld’ fierce discussion in the municipal council tonight. In it, Tineke Nieboer (Lijst Groen Noordenveld) called the process towards the credit application ‘undemocratic’, while fellow councilors call her party a ‘mouthpiece of an interest group’.
The program included the hammering for the credit application for Maatlanden/De Zulthe. This area on the north side of Roden should be developed for housing. A decision about this was already taken this spring by the Noordenveld municipal council.
Lijst Groen Noordenveld was then (and still is) fiercely opposed to the municipality’s plans. The party fears planning damage for local residents and denounces the loss of nature.
To reinforce that position tonight, party leader Tineke Nieboer read out a contribution from the De Zulthe/Maatlanden foundation. This interest group is committed to the preservation of this area and has already indicated that it is willing to use all possible legal means to achieve this.
In her contribution, Nieboer stated that the results of studies into water management in the area are not shared with local residents. She further called it undemocratic to treat the decision for the credit application only as a hammer decision and not to have a broader discussion about it.
The latter went down the wrong way with Mayor Klaas Smid. “We made a democratic decision about this in the spring. You may disagree with that, but speaking of an undemocratic process goes too far for me.”
Councilor Menne Kamminga (Christian Union) wondered aloud whether Lijst Groen Noordenveld could still be seen separately from the De Zulthe/Maatlanden foundation. “Is there a conflict of interest here?”
Frederik van Lookeren Campaign (D66) called LGN the mouthpiece of the interest group. “I don’t think that’s right.”
Nieboer herself strongly denied that her party is being used as a mouthpiece. She did vote with her party against the proposal to purchase the land in Roden-Noord. Christine Stille of Lokaal Noordenveld was also against the proposal.