The Christian Union and CDA want to know before July 1 how the municipal council plans to resolve the affair surrounding De Boompjes and Noordeinde.
These homeowners and residents of these streets in Meppel were confronted last summer with the fact that their homes have no residential zoning. The workers’ houses next to the Agrifirm have been used as homes for more than a century. The homes fell under the so-called transitional law, which meant that people could live there despite the lack of a residential destination. However, a statement from the municipality of Meppel was required for this.
The municipality of Meppel has been refusing to issue that statement since last summer. In fact, the municipality will only issue that statement if residents themselves prove that they have lived there continuously since 1991. For many residents this is an almost impossible task.
The Christian Union and CDA state in a motion that the attitude of the municipal council plunges the owners into uncertainty and puts them at a financial disadvantage. In one fell swoop, the houses are hardly worth anything anymore.
The parties refer to the recent advice from the objection committee that examined the affair. The committee believes that the burden of proof as requested by the council is unrealistic and that the residents are therefore ‘in need of evidence’. The committee alternatively advises the council ‘to provide objectors with a statement that the homes may be occupied’.
‘Time, time time’
Councilor Robin van Ulzen swears that the council is working hard on a solution for the owners and residents. “It sometimes seems that we are working against people. This is not the case. We want to help where we can, but it is an incredibly complex matter. That takes time, time, time.”
Van Ulzen says he is working on a way in which the municipality can help residents demonstrate that they are covered by the transitional law. “We are also working on a different destination for these streets.”
Can the municipal council satisfy all residents and owners? Van Ulzen warns: “We are dealing with all kinds of parties, each with their own rights and interests. We have to remain realistic with each other.”