Koksijde and the province conclude a cooperation agreement on the conversion of a military base

The first plans are almost 25 years old. Koksijde remains patient and it is increasingly becoming a very concrete plan to repurpose the 400-hectare area. A place to cycle, fly, play golf and make open space beautiful.

Marc Vanden Bussche, mayor of Koksijde: “Our greatest wish is to keep as much as possible what there is now. Namely an airport and our agriculture. Very important, and that is new, a direct bicycle connection between Veurne and Koksijde village. And the reconversion of the old barracks where the workshops of Koksijde and Oostduinkerke will come together. There is the possibility to create some building land where the old workshops are now.”

Ready for elections

The plan shows how large the zone is for which the new destination must become concrete in the coming years. Koksijde and the province want to be ready in any case, when the partners involved, such as the Ministry of Defense, eventually leave the site. Sabien Lahaye-Battheu, deputy for Spatial Planning: “We have started with a master plan and in the meantime we are in the design of the spatial implementation plan. That will be presented to the provincial council in the second half of this year. stakeholders are allowed to comment. We want to move to a final determination before next year’s elections.”

However, the new heli base in Ostend is still in its infancy. It is unlikely that the helicopters will leave here very soon, forever.