Egmond is getting a new sports hall and is also allowed to build more than thirty homes. The The new sports hall was one of the hottest issues in the municipality of Bergen. But after more than ten years of discussion and objections, the Council of State ruled that the zoning plan remains in force.
In addition to an energy-neutral sports hall, the plan for the so-called ‘Watertorenterrein’ also includes a parking garage and 34 homes, including 15 CPO homes (a house that the owner may build himself, ed.).
Local residents had objected to the loss of a view of the dunes and found the location in nature unsuitable for the building plans. In addition, they fear that the plans will cause nitrogen, which will affect the flora and fauna in the area.
Partly right, yet ‘lost’
The judge partly ruled in his favor because of the nitrogen, but at the same time the judge finds that this has no legal consequences because the municipality later did a good investigation into the nitrogen consequences for the adjacent Natura 2000 area. This means that the zoning plan remains in force and is irrevocable.
Local residents were not the first to object to the building plans. For a long time, the Action Group Watertorenterrein campaigned for a alternative location for the sports hall, outside the residential area. They were also very concerned about the disappearance of the hall’s social function. In addition to sports, De Watertoren sports hall is also used for parties and by the associations in the village.