Light lighthouse Ostend shines again: foil removed
De Lange Nelle, the lighthouse in Ostend, has been causing a stir for several days. Some local residents who moved into the new apartments in the vicinity of the lighthouse thought that the light was too bright inland. As a solution, MDK set up a test setup with foil that had to dampen the light. That caused a lot of reaction from the Ostend residents. A petition was started that now has more than 10,000 signatures. The message from the initiators is clear: “Nothing can justify this action, even if it only concerns a test set-up and only part of the land side is screened off, we must send a clear signal: from uze torre they must bluff!”
Mayor Bart Tommelein (Open VLD) then also asked MDK for more information about the pilot project. “We have asked MDK for all the information, so that we get a correct view of the facts. They will provide it to us and have assured us that an evaluation is planned within a few weeks anyway,” it sounded on Thursday. That evaluation will eventually come sooner. Minister Diependaele has had the foil removed. “The light of the Lange Nelle has been a beacon on our Flemish coast since 1949. You cannot take that light away from the people of Ostend. That is why I have given the order to stop the test setup.”
Bart Versluys of Bouwgroep Versluys responds: “Nobody expected this commotion. It was a preliminary test setup with removable foil with the aim of briefly questioning one fifth of the light beam towards Bredene. We wanted to know whether support could be found for to make the light in that direction less intense. Nice to see that the lighthouse is such a powerful symbol for the people of Ostend and evokes emotions in many. Apparently a completely wrong assessment despite the positive advice of the Flemish government. We as Versluys Bouwgroep naturally respect the decision of all parties involved as well as the mayor to stop the test setup today.”
The light of the Lange Nelle has been a beacon on our Flemish coast since 1949. You can’t take that light away from the people of Ostend. I have therefore given the order to stop the test setup. https://t.co/ySJVlI1Rbp
— Matthias Diependaele (@MDiependaele) February 3, 2023