Little Ventilus protest in south-West Flanders for the time being, but will it stay that way?
De Roelskouter in Deerlijk is a 25-year-old residential area, with a mastodon of a high-voltage pylon between the houses. The cables hang right above the roofs, new cables will be installed for Ventilus to transport up to 6 gigawatts of power. In May last year, researcher Filip Vanaeken already warned about this scenario.
They should not count on the residents for compensation, because it concerns a reinforcement of an existing line. “In fact, the situation is that compensation is provided for people with a new line. Not for people with an existing line that is being made heavier,” says resident Ben Simoens. “It is not valued enough and we are not informed enough.”
petting zoo
The municipal council of Deerlijk does not want to comment before the Flemish government explains the plans tomorrow. But the inhabitants also know little about Ventilus, according to a survey by our editors. The protest against the high-voltage line may soon increase: in the municipality, the children’s farm will move to a new location over which the Ventilus line will pass.