The nature permit of the FestiValderAa in Schipborg does not have to be revoked. Five residents of Schipborg contested the permit, but the judge dismisses their objections.
And so the festival in the Drentsche Aa area can just start on June 30. The five Schipborgers believe that the festival causes damage to nature and want the province of Drenthe to withdraw the permit.
According to the judge, the opponents of the permit and the province agree on the fact that the quality of the heathland is deteriorating. According to the five local residents, this is due to the festival, and according to the province, drought and people walking their dogs in the area are the culprits.
The province has issued the permit to the festival because it does not contribute to further deterioration of the area. If the deterioration of nature could only be stopped by withdrawing the permit, the judge would have decided otherwise. However, the five have not made it sufficiently clear that the festival causes deterioration or disruption of natural values.
According to the court, the measures taken to prevent damage provide sufficient protection. The FestiValderAa could not have continued with the withdrawal of the permit, but that would not have resulted in a nature restoration. The judge points out that during the corona years, when the festival did not take place or on a limited scale, it has not been shown that any recovery has taken place.