1/3 An impression of what the castle in Gemert will look like (image: Bas van de Laar)
There will be fewer homes and parking spaces around the castle in Gemert. Owner Bas van de Laar announced this on Thursday. He wants apartments, restaurants, a five-star hotel, a wellness center and a beautiful ‘romantic’ walking park, but says that the proceeds from housing construction are needed to carry out the plans.
Castle owner Bas van de Laar is overflowing with plans for the castle in Gemert. The castle, the oldest part of which dates from the fourteenth century, had been empty for ten years until Van de Laar took it upon himself to develop it, but his initial plans led to protests.
The castle with its green surroundings is cherished by the inhabitants of Gemert. Everyone agrees that it needs to be redeveloped. Van de Laar’s plans have been followed with suspicion by some residents for years. In particular, housing and the construction of parking spaces outside the castle.
According to Van de Laar, he needed housing to invest the proceeds in the castle. But opponents were afraid that the houses would affect the green surroundings of the castle. The plans to build parking spaces on the lands were also a thorn in the side of some residents of Gemert.
“I hope people drive around to see the castle.”
To meet protests among the population and the wishes of the monuments commission and the province, the final plan for the castle looks very different:
- In the final design, the number of homes has now been reduced from 80 to 28.
- The number of parking spaces will be reduced from 340 to 164 spaces, divided over four spaces.
Van de Laar now plans to develop the houses in other places. Negotiations have already started on this. Van de Laar does not want to say which places in Gemert these are.
The castle should be finished in 2025. Van de Laar: “I hope that people will want to detour to see it.” The developer from Gemert, who also lives there himself, hopes that many business visitors will visit the Eindhoven region.
“We want to turn it into a beautiful romantic walking park.”
The final design was received on Thursday afternoon by the alderman, who indicated that he would study it and see whether it ‘fits within all frameworks’. The city council will meet on Thursday evening.
According to the new plan, a real green environment is now being created around the castle. “We are going to open the park every day,” says Van de Laar. “The greenery is being thinned out. We want to turn it into a beautiful romantic walking park, with good sightlines of the castle.”
The intention is that the castle will have an open appearance for everyone, not just the lucky few who can afford the hotel, which will bear the Hilton name. Van de Laar also hopes that the castle in Gemert will become the first castle in the Netherlands to provide for its own energy needs.
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