The Emma School in Assen is being renovated for 10 million euros. A majority of the Asser council agrees with the investment, as was evident during tonight’s council meeting. Primary education, after-school care and childcare will be brought to one location through renovation and new construction, creating the Emmaschool Child Center.
The main location of the Emma School is at Prinses Irenestraat 6. That building is a municipal monument, but is very outdated and would have been renovated much sooner. The childcare and after-school care are located in the Zonnebloem, another outdated school building at Prinses Irenestraat 3. That building will be demolished and will make way for a green playground and parking spaces.
To accommodate all activities at the main location, a new two-storey building will be built at the monumental school building. And that is where the sting lies for many local residents. Because of the ‘large high-rise buildings’ they are afraid of prying into their gardens, more noise pollution and extra traffic. They protested heavily this spring when they first saw the construction plans. They also believe that the high-rise building, which abuts the historic school building, is ‘a serious harm to the monumental status’.
Plateau, the public education organization responsible for the construction plan, has had discussions with local residents about their criticism. It was then decided to take additional measures around the high-rise buildings. There will be espalier trees that will also remain green in winter. And the windows are covered with foil to limit the view outside, so that no one can see in.
There will be no more parking nuisance and noise pollution, because the number of schoolchildren in Prinses Irenestraat will not change and the agreed traffic rules around the child center for picking up and dropping off will not change either. Furthermore, the Spatial Quality Commission of Assen, which advises on municipal monuments, says that there is no question of any harm to the historic status of the Emma School.
In the municipal council, the City Party PLOP, CDA and Lijst De Rijke in particular have doubts about the way in which local residents have been treated. They wonder whether local residents have been involved in the construction plans in a timely and sufficient manner. “Because when I read that the construction amount of 10 million could be higher due to objections from residents, then in my opinion you have failed as a government,” says councilor Dick van den Brand of Lijst de Rijke. “And we have to learn from that.”
According to education councilor Martin Rasker (VVD), the municipality is not responsible for involving local residents in the construction plans, but the educational organization Plateau, which is renovating the school. “And in my opinion, that has happened enough. And participation is very important, but that does not mean that everyone is 100 percent right.”
Assen Centraal, ChristenUnie, VVD, PvdA and D66 support the construction plan for the Emma school. These parties also consider it ‘very important’ that local residents are involved in the planning process and that their objections are listened to. In the case of the Emma School, in their view this has happened sufficiently. “I understand that they want to maintain a pleasant residential area. But for us, the importance of a good educational place for growing children outweighs a beautiful place to live,” said VVD faction leader Michiel Hasslacher.
Through Ingeborg Trul, the CDA emphatically advocated that efforts be made to get local residents on board with the construction plans as much as possible, “without the need for further procedures.” According to councilor Martin Rasker, it is important that the school can finally get started with the construction plans. “Because it was already said in 2013 that the new construction of the Emma School would be ready in 2020.”
On October 19, the municipal council must definitively approve the investment of 10 million. An environmental permit has now been applied for from the municipality for the construction plans of the Emma school. “This is still being tested at the moment, but the plan is that construction can start in mid-November,” says councilor Rasker. “And it is of course possible to object.”