Opponents of the plans for a goat farm with 2,000 goats in Enkhuizen made themselves heard today. No fewer than 80 interested parties came forward during a lawsuit. “It’s absurd, given the health risks,” the resistance said.
The lawsuit before the administrative court was brought by the initiators of goat farming. Both were not present at the hearing and were represented by lawyer Franca Damen.
A permit, which was initially granted, was withdrawn after 465 objections from local residents. Reason: the health risks. Research shows that there is an increased risk of pneumonia within a radius of two kilometers around goat farms.
Reason for the Province to introduce a goat stop in 2018. This means no new goat farms or extensions of existing goat farms. But because the application has already been made in Enkhuizen before the goat stop, the municipality has to deal with it.
Permit should never have been given
“Public health has been added as a European guideline. In fact, this should have been included in the first permit application,” said the lawyer of the municipality of Enkhuizen, Marieke Dankbaar.
A total of 80 people were allowed to tell their story as interested parties. More people had applied, but because they live more than 2 kilometers from the location of the intended goat farm, their objection was rejected.
Most were represented by a lawyer or kept it to themselves. About ten local residents had come to Haarlem to tell their story. “There are many more people who object, only those who have not reported. It also appears from research by NH Nieuws and Kieskompas that most Enkhuizers are not waiting for it,” says one of them.
‘Why would the municipality decide otherwise?’
Lawyer Matthijs Nierman, who represents a local resident who lives 800 meters away from the goat farm, thinks it is right that the permit has been rejected. “Arguments from lawyers without a medical background are only presented. The GGD says that you should not do it because of your health. Why would the municipality decide otherwise?
The council has declined to comment as long as the case is before the courts. The lawyer of the initiators, Franca Damen, did not agree that everyone within two kilometers of the goat farm’s location is seen as an interested party.
But above all, according to her, there were no new arguments for rejecting the permit in the second instance. And according to her, the health examinations would not apply to Enkhuizen, because there are no intensive livestock farms in the municipality yet.
The verdict is on June 2. Although the chance already seems high that regardless of the outcome, an appeal will follow.