A setback for a group of residents of the historic center of Weesp: they still get underground waste containers in front of their door. The judge has decided that. The Weespers tried twice to stop the containers from being placed, but the Council of State rejected their objections.
The city center of Weesp – the last of the entire municipality – will receive underground waste containers to collect household waste. Until recently, the waste was put on the street in garbage bags. This caused inconveniences: the bags not only look untidy, but they also attract vermin. In addition, they were often prey for birds, which pecked open the bags, causing the dirt to whirl across the street.
The underground containers should solve that problem once and for all, but shortly after the plan was presented, quite a few residents turned out to be against the installation of the containers.
Protected city view
The disputed containers, for which a group of six residents went to court, are located opposite the monumental town hall of Weesp. According to the local residents, they harm the protected cityscape of Weesp. In addition, the containers must be placed where there is now a bench overlooking the town hall. In short: the containers do not fit there, according to the neighbourhood.
Local residents also fear that the use of the underground waste containers will cause nuisance because of the trucks that have to empty the containers. The waste containers are located along a main road through the center and the large truck will cause unsafe traffic situations, they fear. The judge dismisses that argument, because emptying the containers only takes three minutes and therefore will cause few problems.
No consequences for the street scene
The argument about the protected cityscape is also brushed aside by the judge. The Council of State ruled that the waste containers only protrude above the ground to a limited extent and therefore have no major consequences for the streetscape. The view of the town hall is also not obstructed.
The ruling of the Council of State ensures that the underground containers are finally allowed to be placed there. Last spring – when the same group of local residents already contested the permit – The Gooi and Vechtstreek Region already received permission from the judge to start the work, but it was decided to wait until the final decision of the Council of State.