A new high-voltage line desperately needed to prevent power shortages in North Holland. Various routes were shown.
The States Commission of the province of North Holland now has a preference voted for a route that runs straight past Hensbroek, Obdam and the Berkmeerpolder.
The municipality of Koggenland also agrees with this route as the ‘least of all evils’, albeit with the condition that this must be partly underground.
An alternative route, which was ‘unacceptable’ for the municipality of Koggenland due to ‘the major impact on local residents’, goes past Spierdijk. Data from the land registry shows that councilor Bart Krijnen of Housing and Spatial Planning – and therefore portfolio holder for the high-voltage line – lives here.
Krijnen’s company is also located there. This raises questions for many affected residents,
Grid operator Tennet wants to significantly strengthen the power grid due to the growing electricity demand, because the grid is already packed. That is why a new overhead high-voltage line must be built between Beverwijk-Oostzaan and Middenmeer, with 100 to 150 pylons. There is a lot of resistance from local residents against the arrival of the high-voltage line.
‘Dubious decision’
Pascal Rutten, who wrote the petition nomast.nl has started, thinks that there is something fishy about the case.
“I assume the goodness of people, but this has woken up the neighborhood. As residents, we were only involved in the plans at a very late stage. There has been almost no participation. It is very dubious that the councilor himself lives along the route that has now been rejected.”
Laura Nelemans, who lives along the proposed route with her boyfriend, also questions the process. If the plan goes ahead, the high-voltage line may run straight through her horse pasture.