News item | 08-03-2024 | 5:00 PM
Tackling foundation problems is an urgent issue that requires government input from several departments, as the advice given by the Council for the Living Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) on behalf of the cabinet underlines. The Ministries of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, I&W, LNV, EZK, OCW and Finance will be developing a national approach in the near future. This is done together with fellow authorities and private parties.
The foundation challenge for buildings becomes greater and more urgent as buildings age, due to subsidence and the changing climate. The Rli’s advice offers a rich collection of recommendations to the government to arrive at a coherent approach for the Netherlands together with involved public and private parties.
In its advice, the Rli states that the Netherlands potentially faces extensive foundation problems, both in urban and rural areas. The causes of foundation problems are diverse. That is why the Rli makes proposals for a coherent national approach by the joint authorities. This approach includes five tracks with recommendations: improving the provision of information; preventing future damage; support and relief; subsidy and loan options for damage and foundation repairs; and a powerful performance. The advice is a valuable contribution to the discussion and contains useful building blocks for a joint approach.
The government sees a responsibility not only for governments in tackling foundation problems, but certainly also for building owners and for the financial sector and the construction sector. The government will be developing a national approach in the coming period. The next cabinet will make a final decision on the approach and costs. The approach is developed along the following lines:
- Intensifying knowledge development, innovation and research and support to municipalities and housing associations, including through the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Soil Subsidence and Foundations Knowledge Center.
- The intention to make the Sustainable Foundation Recovery Fund nationally operational and to map out policy options for individual and collective support (public and private).
- Scaling up existing processes for the prevention of new damage cases, including through existing processes such as the Soil and Subsurface program and the application of the national benchmark for a green climate-adaptive built environment.
- Smarter use of existing processes in the construction sector for upscaling and innovation around foundation research and foundation repair, including through the Reconstruction Flows program and the Top Consortium Knowledge and Innovation in Construction and Technology.
Municipalities such as Rotterdam, Zaanstad, Schiedam and Gouda have already developed a good local approach. Provinces, such as Friesland, are also taking steps. But not all municipalities where there is foundation damage have a counter where residents can go with questions or there is support from the municipality. There are still many steps to be taken in this regard. The same applies to support at national level, including through the Soil Subsidence and Foundations Knowledge Center and the Knowledge Center for Tackling Foundation Problems, and the Sustainable Foundation Recovery Fund, a national facility for owners in need of urgent foundation repairs who cannot get a loan from their own bank.
Read more about the Offer Letter for Rli advice ‘Well-founded’ here