The municipality of Assen wants 5,000 government jobs in exchange for thousands of additional homes to be built after 2030. Councilor Cor Staal is committed to a regional deal that does not just concern homes.
The Asser councilor (Christian Union) wants a total package that also includes mobility and Defense locations, for example. He responds to plans by outgoing housing minister Hugo de Jonge. De Jonge wants to build a million new houses in the Netherlands after 2030, and has the North in mind. Between Assen and Groningen with an extension to Emmen.
Staal is happy with De Jonge’s vision, according to him Assen has room to grow. “Bring on those houses. We can certainly accommodate them in Assen,” says Staal in the Radio Drenthe program Cassata. As far as he is concerned, the municipality will continue to grow to 80,000 inhabitants (now just under 70,000), but according to him it should not just be about houses, and in this too he is in line with De Jonge.
“That is the good thing about this memorandum, it says that we need employment and the economy,” says Staal. “We must ensure that we have an employment pact, I have sometimes called it an employment deal. We have a housing deal with the government, I want something extra. If we get 5,000 jobs, we can also build 10,000 homes.”
Staal points out that many (government) jobs have disappeared in recent years, for example with the departure of the NAM. Jobs should once again tempt people to move to the North. “We have 30 percent social housing in Assen. We want to keep that. This means that we want to build 70 percent other homes. For that 70 percent I need people who have jobs, earn money and live in Assen.”
And so Staal urges the province to focus on attracting government jobs. According to the Asser councilor, this is a quick way for the government to stimulate the economy in the Northern Netherlands. An investment in the Lely Line is important, but it also takes a long time to be implemented. Investing in employment can be done faster. “You can start that tomorrow. If you get a new department, it can be in Assen.”
As an example, he indicates that his Christian Union party is committed to a Spatial Development department. “At the RUG (University of Groningen, ed.) we have a fantastic Spatial Planning and Design course. Top level. How great would it be to house such a department here.”
Watch the entire Cassata conversation about the housing plans here, with Asser councilor Cor Staal and Reinder Hoekstra of the Drenthe Nature and Environmental Federation.