The renovation of the Mariakerk in Ruinen has been stopped. The preliminary relief judge must first have the municipality of De Wolden assess the objections to the renovation. The Objections Committee must then determine whether the correct procedure has been followed.
In July, the municipality of De Wolden issued a permit for the renovation and expansion of the Mariakerk on the Brink, despite the Advisory Committee for Environmental Quality Libau Drenthe (AvO) giving a negative advice. An objection from August from the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) was also set aside. According to both authorities, adjustments to the interior and exterior are drastic.
The owner of a building on the Brink successfully challenged the permit, as the view from that building is limited by the changes to the church.
The Protestant community in Ruinen wants to build a meeting room at the church. The church itself would also undergo some renovations, including to make the building more sustainable.
The work in and around the monumental church was already in full swing. The judge noted that the work was carried out ‘without restraint and expeditiously’. But also unlawful. According to the judge, the municipality of De Wolden has not properly explained why a permit was issued even though there was negative advice.
To prevent irreversible damage, the judge stops work. The church council must also properly protect exposed archaeological remains against the weather and vandalism. The only thing that remains to be done for the time being is to install underfloor heating so that the church can be used again.
According to the AvO advisory committee, the current renovation plans have ‘too great a negative impact on the church building and therefore disfigure the monument’. According to De Wolden, there is no damage to monumental values, but the judge finds it difficult to believe, given the advice available.
De Wolden believed that he could issue the permit using a regular procedure. “The advice obtained gave no indication that this obligation to follow the regular procedure should be deviated from,” the municipality said. The RCE aims for an extensive procedure, which is sometimes necessary for adjustments to national monuments.
According to De Wolden, the church is located in a ‘welfare-free area’, but according to the judge, this does not mean that no welfare rules apply, because different rules apply to protected buildings. De Wolden also states that the chosen design preserves sight lines from the Brink, but the judge wonders whether sight lines from other places have been assessed.
It is now up to the municipality to weigh the various objections. Until then, construction is at a standstill. An independent objections committee must hear all those involved and examine whether De Wolden has completed the procedures correctly, after which a recommendation will be made. Based on that advice, the municipal council will again decide whether or not to issue a permit.
In the meantime, the church board is disappointed with the situation. “It’s a shame that something like this happened, disappointing too,” says Ben Schaper about the delay and going to court. Schaper is chairman of the board of church administrators. He does not understand the objections that the RCE has and thinks that the impact of the renovation on the church is not great enough to follow an extensive procedure. He is therefore entering the follow-up process with full confidence. “But that does mean that you can’t continue until the spring at the earliest.”