VDL Nedcar pays many millions extra for nature compensation for the felling of the Sterrebos. In exchange, the action group De Groene Sporenwolf withdrew its objections to the Council of State and immediately started the logging on Tuesday.
VDL Nedcar now wants to build a new factory quickly and hopes to present a new customer soon.
Not a good feeling
“We actually had the feeling for a long time that we could not win the case against VDL Nedcar,” says secretary Dirk-Jan van der Hoven of De Groene Sporenwolf. “We are volunteers and faced an army of lawyers from VDL Nedcar. I was full of doubts when I spoke to the Council of State. We did not have a good feeling about the legal outcome. That is why we always kept in touch with VDL Nedcar to to drag out as much as possible for nature compensation.”
New walkway
De Groene Sporenwolf seems to have succeeded in this. In addition to previously promised compensation for nature, including the relocation of trees, there are now even more promises from the car factory in Born. Such as the construction of a footbridge over the N297 from Nieuwstadt to the Limbrichterveld. Just like a noise barrier along the N297 on the south side of Nieuwstadt and a growth fund that will do even more in the coming years to make the area around VDL Nedcar in Born more green.
good relationship
“It is indeed many millions extra,” says spokesperson Miel Timmers of VDL Nedcar. Despite the current knowledge that De Groene Sporenwolf had little confidence in a good outcome in court, the company does not think that it is now digging too deep into its pockets. “No, we had confidence in a good outcome in court for us, but we are not that into litigating. We value a good relationship with our environment. That is why we are making this extra effort with full conviction.”
family business
According to the spokesperson, it helps that VDL Nedcar is a family business. “We don’t have panting shareholders who only look at money,” says Timmers. “As a family business, you are primarily interested in passing on the company sustainably to the next generation. We attach more value to long-term and continuity. I think we can now do that in the contact with De Groene Sporenwolf and the Ecological Vleermuis Research Foundation. Netherlands (Sevon) have now reached.”
Citizen participation
Dirk-Jan van der Hoven of De Groene Sporenwolf also believes that this is the best deal that could be made for nature. “We now have maximum nature compensation and we as citizens will also sit down at the table in the coming years to spend the millions from the new fund. Plus we keep the jobs of VDL Nedcar, which we think is just as important.”
Passed station
De Groene Sporenwolf does not like the occupiers of action group Red het Sterrebos. “In our view, that action was a long overdue. We were distanced from it. With negotiations we knew where our opportunities lay”, Van der Hoven refers again to the million deal that has now been concluded.
Also read: Sterrebos demonstration ended: police clear area
New customer
VDL Nedcar immediately started cutting down the forest to prevent new activists from going up into the trees again. And then at some point the construction of the new production line will start. VDL Nedcar does not yet know when that will be. However, it will soon be announced who will be the new customer at the car manufacturer for which the production line is needed. It is possible that the American startup Rivian, which would like to have electric buses made in Born, among other things.