The municipality of Hoogeveen has submitted an application for a permit for the arrival of a KFC restaurant in Hoogeveen. However, research into possible traffic and noise nuisance must still be conducted. Local residents must also be heard. Hoogeveen has announced that it will only consider the application once the results have been received.
Initiator Ruval Real Estate hopes to build the chicken restaurant along Schutstraat, close to the A28. In December, the company presented a first impression of the restaurant. Together with the municipality, they are investigating whether a Kentucky Fried Chicken is possible in Hoogeveen. Local residents got a glimpse of what the building could look like. But not everyone is looking forward to the chicken restaurant, as a number of local residents fear an increase in waste, loitering and traffic nuisance.
According to local residents, the part of Schutstraat where the restaurant is to be located is extremely busy in terms of traffic. Not only because of the entrances and exits of the A28, but also because of the intersection further along with Carstenstraat and Griendtsveenweg. Local residents there call it ‘life-threatening’. They also think that cyclists may experience inconvenience. They think things will get worse with the arrival of a KFC.
Those are not the only concerns. They fear that youth and extra waste will cause nuisance. “The McDonalds across the street has to pick up a lot of waste. They do their best, but there is still some left behind. With the arrival of a KFC, this may become even more,” said a resident of the Moluccan neighborhood at the time. is adjacent to the proposed KFC site.
The McDonald’s restaurant is often open late, say local residents. They see young people hanging around there causing a nuisance with loudspeakers. “Who’s to say something like this won’t happen at a future KFC,” says the resident. Part of the neighborhood really does not like the arrival of the company and has indicated that they will fight until the end.
During the presentation of Ruval Real Estate, local residents could submit questions about the project. The company plans to respond to people’s concerns by the end of January. Part of the neighborhood thought it was a shame that answers were not provided immediately. This gives them the feeling that everything is already done and done.
A frequently asked question is how the municipality is involved in the choice of location. Hoogeveen says that it had no influence on this. “The initiator owns the site in question and sees opportunities for the establishment of a KFC near the highway.”
The municipality previously announced that the investigation is still ongoing and the results are awaited. It is therefore not yet final whether the restaurant will actually be built. “Of course we are aware of the unrest surrounding possible nuisance. We will certainly take that into account in our considerations and if a KFC comes here, we will have to make agreements about this,” said a spokesperson.