Berry and Deborah Steegers have been living at the holiday park in Molenschot for 25 years. But they have to leave. The park was taken over by the French recreation company Capfun and the park wants to set up differently. More than a hundred permanent residents have chosen eggs for their money and left. But not Berry (56) and Deborah (51). They want to stay at all costs.
Berry picks up his visit at the park entrance gate by car. It used to be known as the Linberg campsite, now there is ‘Capfun Wondermolen’ on the access sign. The eye -catcher is a large indoor swimming pool. There is no more caravan in the park: there are neat wooden chalets everywhere. And in between you will find a lost chalet from a permanent resident, such as Berry.
“I’ve been coming here for 38 years, because my father and mother have been there.”
The park once had around 150 permanent residents, of which there are now nineteen left. Just like Berry, they often have been living there for decades. When we arrive at his chalet, he points to the other side: “I’ve been here for 38 years, because my father and mother have stood there. We came here at Easter, Pentecost, Ascension, Christmas, New Year’s Eve. So we had something of: why are we actually going home?”
The then owner of Camping Linberg thought it was good. Berry sold his house in The Hague and had a chalet built, based on Linberg. He proudly leads his visit. “Through the garden we look out on the forest. We can walk with the dog.” In addition to the large living room, Berry has his mancave: “Here I watch football.” There are also an office, bathroom and two bedrooms.
Deborah and Berry registered with the municipality of Gilze en Rijen and who tolerated their stay at the holiday park. Have a good time. Deborah: “We lived in nature. The children could play outside, everyone paid attention.” But four years ago the park was taken over by Capfun. He reinforced the park and the permanent residents were told that they can rent for another six months and then have to leave. Deborah could not first believe it: “The municipality tolerates that we live here. Isn’t that possible?”
“Is the power closed? Do I have to go to my son in the attic?”
But the new owner determines, the municipality has nothing to say about that. The nineteen remaining residents must be gone no later than 31 December. Deborah, desperately: “What should I do? Is the power closed? Do I have to sit in a room with my mother? With my son on top of the attic?”
Corina van der Maas is Park Manager of Capfun Wondermolen. She does not feel sorry for the residents who are still there: “We told them already five years ago. Things are changing. There is simply no demand for annual places, so Capfun now sells something else. Short staying for all changing people.”
That there is a housing shortage is not the problem of Capfun, according to Van der Maas: “Minister Mona Keijzer now wants to make it easier to live in a holiday park? It is not a holiday park to resolve a housing shortage, we are not for that.”
Member of Parliament Sandra Beckerman of the SP has taken care of the fate of the residents of Holiday Parks. Tuesday, the day the cabinet fell, the House of Representatives took its motion to better protect regular tenants and residents of holiday parks: “If such a park is bought, they have no certainty and get in trouble”.
“He had gone under it, perhaps had committed suicide.”
Berry: “People are afraid of what will happen. I have guided two people to a house. I am sure that if one had stayed, it would have gone under it. He might have committed suicide.”
As far as park manager Van der Maas is concerned, the last residents will also have to leave: “If you can live cheaply at a campsite for 25, 30 years and you have a normal income, you have been able to save a lot of money. We want to implement our plan as we presented five years ago.”
And even though there is a law to protect park residents, MP Beckerman warns of too much optimism: “Because that law still has to be written and the question is whether it will come on time for people like Berry and Deborah.”
Deborah: “The fact that this can be taken. That your life will be erased, as if it doesn’t mean anything. I think that is actually inhumane.”
Berry and Deborah have filed a lawsuit against Capfun about their expulsion. That case serves at the earliest in the fall.
