The Borger-Odoorn municipal council is putting down 100,000 euros for container units at the De Treffer ’16 football field in 2e Exloërmond, where football players can change clothes and shower. They have been doing that in the Hunsowhal for years, but that would no longer be possible.
The council discussed it on two Thursday evenings and took the decision by a narrow majority.
The PvdA, VVD, ChristenUnie and Leefbaar Borger-Odoorn quickly agreed: the temporary units must be built. “Letting this simmer any longer is not fair to residents,” said Peter Krans (CDA).
The largest party, Municipal Interests, was strongly opposed. As far as councilor Harm Greven is concerned, De Treffer ’16 will remain in the Hunsowhal until there is a structural solution. “We are now in the tenth half or more. I don’t think this reflects cost awareness or benefit awareness,” Pieter de Groot (GroenLinks) agreed.
Wear
There are already container units at the football club where, among other things, the canteen is located. Players still change clothes in the Hunsowhal, but it is not built for that purpose: the sports hall is intended for indoor sports.
In addition, it will be even busier in the coming period with athletes coming over from De Koel in Borger. The sports hall will be replaced by a new building early next year. In addition, the distance between the football field and the Hunsowhal does not meet the KNVB standard. The KNVB was willing to turn a blind eye to this, but not for long.
“As a municipality, we have the responsibility to provide changing facilities,” said councilor Ankie van Tongeren (CDA/ChristenUnie) when asked earlier on Thursday. The councilor sees the units as the most logical solution. Other options are even more expensive, according to Van Tongeren.
Van Tongeren does not see changing clothes in the village hall, which has been suggested previously and has now been requested by council members, as a solution. “The changing room in the village hall is no longer available, because the village hall has already been completely renovated. And the village hall is not municipal property,” Van Tongeren adds. “If I say to my neighbors, ‘Come on, I’m going to renovate your bedroom,’ I don’t think they will welcome me with open arms.”
New mfa
As far as Van Tongeren is concerned, the container space must be set up “at very short notice”. De Treffer ’16 would do a lot of the installation itself. “The units remain owned by the municipality and are intended for football, regardless of the association. But without commitment from the current club we would not have achieved this budget.”
The container units are intended to bridge the period until the new mfa (multifunctional accommodation) that Van Tongeren is aiming for. The exploratory study into the MFA is planned for early 2024. Education will first be examined: the school buildings in the village are outdated.
“If you are trying to get two schools under one roof, you are missing a big opportunity if we cannot make a smart connection with football there,” said the councilor.