The well -known lawyer Peter Schouten will help the residents of a caravan camp in the Hague Beemden in their fight against the municipality of Breda. The caravan dwellers have been discriminated and treated incorrectly for years because they want to expand their camp. On a piece of land next to their site, apartments for seniors now come. And the caravan dwellers don’t like that.
Peter Schouten does not have a leaf for the mouth, after his conversation on Sunday with the caravan dwellers. He is unhappy about the actions of the municipality of Breda. “What happened here is deception,” says the lawyer.
Land next to caravan camp
It is all about a piece of land that is located next to the caravan camp on the Gageldonkseweg. For years the caravan dwellers there would really like extra locations, but that was never allowed, because the zoning plan did not allow it. And so the land was sold to the Alwel housing corporation. He can now build a lot on it, because the municipality is changing the zoning plan.
“The ground has been taken off your hands.”
“It is really incredible what happened here,” says lawyer Schouten. “The caravan dweller, whose piece of land was, was never informed about the plans of Alwel. For the sale there was already a deal with the municipality about the zoning plan and he could not estimate the correct value. The caravan dweller became older and was therefore sick. He had to sell. The land was taken off with deception.”
Result of extinction policy
In the eyes of the caravan dwellers, this is the result of a extinction policy that they still pursue. Something that was officially prohibited in 2018. “It may have been abolished, but the problem comes from this. So now we just have a postponement policy for people who come out of the caravan culture. That land next to their door is very suitable for more caravans.”
Mistakes admitted
Alderman Eddie Förster van Breda recently admitted in the city council that mistakes were made in the past and that the caravan dwellers have been disadvantaged. But now, according to him, the college is working energetically and there is no reason not to let the change in the zoning plan continue. There will be a vote on Thursday.
“I want an in -depth investigation how this all went at the time.”
The caravan dwellers see the mood hanging and lawyer Schouten can sometimes be their last resort. “I am afraid that the city council will approve the zoning plan,” says Bart Hülters. “But if so, Peter will help us for free and we will go to the Council of State. We are very happy with that.”
Expur policy for caravan centers
For decades there was a extinction policy for caravan centers in the Netherlands. New pitches for caravans were not added and caravan dwellers had to move to normal houses. But after a legal tug of war, this is no longer allowed since 2018. And so municipalities must offer locations.
In Breda – so research by the SP – 120 people want a location. Expansion has already been promised by the municipality, but to date no place has been added. Alderman Arjen van Drunen recently again promised that the city wants to realize 26 new locations quickly.