Not 600 but 850 homes can be built in the Beiler neighborhoods of Alting and Smalbroek. In Alting a maximum of 350, in Smalbroek a maximum of 500.
The new construction will take place in phases. This gives the municipality the opportunity to start building as quickly as possible and to make adjustments if more housing is built elsewhere, for example through infill development. Making one large environmental plan for the entire area takes a lot of time and a lot of money.
In the first phase there will be 130 homes in Alting and 170 in Smalbroek. The houses must fit into the surroundings of ash trees and hedgerows. Houses built between farms could be given the character of a barn to fit them into. This concerns detached owner-occupied homes and social rental properties in terraced houses. In Alting a maximum of two floors high, in Smalbroek a maximum of three. The municipality also wants to build a new ring road near Smalbroek.
The Municipal Executive and the coalition in the municipal council want to continue. According to them, the Notes on Principles for Alting and Smalbroek sufficiently demonstrate that construction can take place in both hamlets. They are also the most suitable because of their location and accessibility.
By slapping the bills, the planning process can continue, and not unimportantly: the pre-emptive right on the land in Smalbroek and Alting can be extended by three years.
Both neighborhoods are strongly against large-scale housing construction and have already reported this to the municipality several times. They also addressed the city council members again last night.
Bertien Beugels from Behoud Smalbroek and Kees van Zanten from Behoud Alting pointed out the warnings in the studies that both areas are very wet. According to Beugels, a lot of drainage is needed in Smalbroek and in Alting a large area must be raised and that sand must lie there for at least one, preferably two, years before construction can begin, Van Zanten said. “From 37 homes now to 350 homes, from rural residential community to residential factory.”
Beugels: “In Smalbroek, due to the heavy traffic on the new access road, the noise load on the facades of the houses will exceed the standard of 50 decibels everywhere. If you install noise barriers for this, the open space and greenery will be gone.” Smalbroek is already ‘back to back’ against the last new housing estate in Beilen.
According to Van Zanten, many studies are still needed and there is no well-considered overall plan yet, only the general land development. He pointed to the recently published report by KAW, which shows that there are many more opportunities to build in villages than expected. “The mantra build, build, build seems to have a blinding effect,” he told the city council.
Van Zanten received support from Lars Boersma of municipal interests BBBondgenoot. “Small local initiatives also contribute and are currently insufficiently supported.” But PvdA-GroenLinks member Jan Beugel brushed that off the table: “Drops in the ocean. Major construction plans at Beilen are necessary. These are drastic changes for Alting and Smalbroek. Everyone believes that homes should be built, but somewhere else.” Gert Pronk of the Christian Union also thinks so.
Manuela Huisman of Positive Vooruit, Henk van der Beek of GroenLinks and Henk de Weerd of the VVD are happy that construction will take place in phases. Van Beek: “Progress is important! Changes are always happening and are always going to hurt people.” Harry Sikkinga of the CDA still insisted on good landscape integration.
Municipal interests and BBBondgenoot Jan Jonker: “We always talk about affordable housing here. I don’t see anything about that in the documents. How do you see affordable living in Smalbroek or Alting?” he advised.
CDA member Sikkinga: “It will be a mix of social housing and purchase. Transfer from cheaper houses in Beilen to Smalbroek and Alting is also a way.”
“As a municipality, we must have control; if we leave it only to project developers, affordable housing will not be created at all,” GroenLinks member Van der Beek countered.
But even though the council wants to talk about it again on October 30, the cards have already been shuffled. The coalition of PvdA, CDA, VVD, Positive Vooruit, GroenLinks, ChristenUnie and D66 is in favor (16 seats), Onhouden Midden-Drenthe and Gemeentebelangen BBB are against (7).
The municipality wants to build 1,700 new houses by 2030, half of which in and near Beilen. The majority must be realized through expansion, such as in Alting and Smalbroek. The rest must be done through infill within existing neighborhoods and renovation of old neighborhoods.