The plan for a Brabant Heritage Fund, where owners of monuments can borrow money for maintenance on favorable conditions, falls into good earth for many parties in the Provincial States. During a committee meeting, only the PVV expressed itself against it. Mark Buijs, board member of the Basiliek Behoud Basilica Foundation in Oudenbosch, is very happy there and hopes that the basilica can still be renovated in the jubilee year. “The need is high.”
Other parties in the committee meeting still have many questions, for example whether there is a limit to the amount of an application.
Deputy Bas Maes van Cultuur did not want to commit to this. According to him, much still needs to be selected. For example, a similar fund in Gelderland has a maximum of 1 million euros.
But that does not mean that that amount is also the best for Brabant, Maes said. According to him, the Brabant Heritage Fund comes at the right time, since municipalities provide less income in 2026.
“Considered while pans fall off the roof.”
According to Maes, the new fund is good news for owners who now fall outside the boat with the ‘normal’ provincial subsidy scheme. “You can be drawn there, while so to speak the pans fall off the roof of the building.”
He thereby responded to concerned States fractions who wanted to know why the Basilica of Oudenbosch does not receive a subsidy for the second year in a row.
The board member of the Stichting Basiliek, Mark Buijs, was very disappointed. “I was beaten by this news,” he said earlier. It is all the more happier Mark with the news that the parties respond positively to the plan for a Heritage Fund.
“Fantastic news.”
“This is fantastic news, because the need is high to renovate the basilica. Of course we don’t know the rules of such a fund, but we like to get in touch with the province to explore the possibilities,” says Buijs.
The basilica in Oudenbosch is in a bad way. Especially the front and the right flank are ready for a makeover. Ornaments get loose and threaten to fall down from a great height. The imposing dome roof is now also defending.
With a loan via the Brabant Heritage Fund, it must be arranged differently than with a normal grant application. The province lends 50 million euros to the National Restoration Fund. Together they set up the Brabant Heritage Fund, where owners of monuments and cultural -historical areas can borrow money for maintenance of the monuments on favorable conditions.
Maes hopes that the first application for the summer can be processed. For the Basilica in Oudenbosch, the place that has been around for 750 this year, that could mean that the renovation can still start in the jubilee year.
Basiliek Oudenbosch needs fast maintenance, but there is not enough money.