The village of Moerdijk is in danger of disappearing from the map. That raises questions. Who pulls the strings? When will a decision be made? And can the municipal name continue to exist? Omroep Brabant lists ten important questions and answers.
1. Where is Moerdijk actually located?
Moerdijk is located in West Brabant and is a village in the municipality of Moerdijk of the same name. It is located northwest of Breda on the Hollands Diep, a wide body of water that serves as the border between Brabant and South Holland.
2. Why does Moerdijk have to leave?
Space is needed for expansion of the port and industrial area. The expansion is related to the so-called Powerport region. This area runs from the industrial area near Moerdijk to a power plant in Geertruidenberg. It is one of the most important links in the Dutch energy system. According to Moerdijk, the government wants to develop a lot of new energy infrastructure in this region.
The expansion is necessary so that the Netherlands is less dependent on foreign countries. The question that has also been in the air nationally for some time: where around Moerdijk is there room for expansion?
In any case, 450 hectares of land is needed. The municipal council would like to see the village disappear to make way for industry. The municipality finds the location suitable because it is directly connected to water, rail and highways.
3. What kind of industry exactly will come to Moerdijk?
About 230 hectares must make way for three new energy stations. Grid operator TenneT will, among other things, build a 380 kV high-voltage substation here. This is necessary to be able to supply sufficient power in the future to industry, homes and shipping, among others. High-voltage lines and a transformer station, intended to convert energy, will also be installed around these energy stations.
There is also a focus on sustainability. Part of the area is intended for the construction of hydrogen factories. Hydrogen is a replacement for natural gas.
4. Who should Moerdijk get rid of?
The space required is a national assignment. The municipality, province and central government are working together to make a decision about the situation in Moerdijk.
In June it was already decided that a lot of space was needed in and around the industrial area in Moerdijk for the new expansion. Two options have been mentioned to fulfill this assignment: expansion to the southeast of the industrial area or expansion to the east of the industrial area. The latter option would mean that Moerdijk would have to make way. The municipal council announced on Tuesday evening that it had that preference.
According to the municipality, the other option to save the village is not an option. The reason is that the plan would also affect the quality of life in surrounding villages.
5. When will a decision be made?
It is now up to the Moerdijk municipal council to decide on the proposal. That will happen on November 19. Then it is the turn of the province and the national government, which will each make a decision on December 1.
6. Can residents object?
Residents have the right to object to the municipality’s zoning plan. Professor of expropriation law Jacques Sluysmans estimates that an objection would only have a chance of success if the plan does not meet the correct guidelines.
If people really do not want to leave, they can resort to expropriation. This means that the municipality can confiscate property, such as a house or land. Sluysman says that this happens relatively rarely.
7. When should Moerdijk be gone?
Mayor Aart-Jan Moerkerke hopes that residents will still be able to live in Moerdijk in the next ten years. The intention is that the construction of the energy stations will start in 2028. These should be ready in 2033.
8. Do residents get money to move?
Yes, residents receive money in compensation. It is not yet known how much money people will receive. The municipality also wants to offer residents prospects when it comes to a new home (urgently).
The municipality wants to be sure that residents are sufficiently compensated. Collaboration between the national government, the province and the municipality will therefore be necessary for a long time.
9. What will happen to street maintenance?
The municipality wants the village to remain liveable in the coming years. There must therefore be a fund to ensure that this happens as long as the village exists.
10. Can the municipality still be called Moerdijk?
If it were up to public administration expert John Bijl, that should not be a problem. “It is nice for many reasons to keep the name alive and to call the municipality Moerdijk,” he says. Bijl mentions as an example that in the municipality of Meijerijstad there is no village called ‘Meijerijstad’.