The Council of State today rejected the expansion plans of Het Land van Bartje in a southerly direction. The recreation park has been working on the plans for years, the first ideas date from 2010.
The highest administrative court sees no problem in the plan to build more holiday homes in the northern part of Land van Bartje. But the plans for large-scale daytime recreation in the southern part in their current form are unacceptable according to the Council of State. The destruction of that part of the plan means that initiator Kranenburg is not allowed to build a multifunctional building, no horse stables and arenas, canopies, play equipment and no climbing tower.
In addition, the Council has put an end to the construction of a parking lot with associated access roads. The planned company house, as well as other structures that are necessary for a large daytime recreation area, may not be built either. According to the Council of State, the day recreation plan is far too broad.
Residents fear nuisance
During the session at the beginning of December, a dozen residents made it clear that they think the building options are so extensive that a small Efteling can be built. “The entire site can be filled with playground equipment, shelters and horse suits,” said spokesman for the opponents, Josette Polman during that session.
Way too many building options
The municipality of Borger-Odoorn offered far too many building options with the zoning plan, according to the administrative judge. It concerns about 2,000 m2 of outbuildings, in addition to the multifunctional building of 1,500 m2 with catering facilities, which is not small. The intention was to make the daytime recreation and horse riding facilities available mainly to guests of the recreation park. But the plan makes so much more possible that a large increase in the number of visitors cannot be ruled out.
The Council also does not consider the shortcomings to be such that the municipality should be given the opportunity to refine and patch up the plan here and there. For that reason, the Council has canceled the plan part for the expansion in a southerly direction. The city council and initiator will now have to come up with a new, slimmed-down plan if the day recreation plans of Kranenburg still have a chance of being realised.