The plan for an asylum seekers’ center (azc) in the Nera building in Nederhorst den Berg has been shelved. Responsible alderman Maarten Hoelscher announced this on Thursday during the interpellation debate. The municipality investigated the possibility of opening the azc in the former radio receiving station in the Horstermeerpolder. This caused a lot of unrest among the inhabitants of the village.
“Continuing would have a major impact on society and would also demand too much from the organisation,” said responsible alderman Hoelscher during the interpellation debate. This horse remedy was requested by all parties in the city council to call the alderman to account. “The only sensible decision is to stop this process.”
Hoelscher indicates that he was mistaken in the unrest that the possible plans evoked in the municipality. “The polarization that arose was never intended.” Hoelscher also indicates that things could be improved in communication with residents.
Next Tuesday, the Board will officially take the decision to no longer continue with the investigation. Then there will also be more information about the substantiation, insofar as this has not been discussed in the interpellation debate.
Much unrest
This summer, 350 asylum seekers should enter the former radio receiving station. The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (CAO) had its eye on the building and the municipality started investigating the possibilities. The plan caused a lot of unrest among the residents.
That’s how it became a petition put on feet. Opponents called the plans large-scale and did not find the process transparent until that point. The fact that the building is right next to a Natura 2000 area also raised eyebrows. The petition has now been signed more than 2,100 times. A residents evening became itself cancelled because there were signals that rioters from outside the municipality would come to the meeting.
It finally became clear in early April that the possible plans were delayed and it was even decided to provisionally no shelters for Ukrainian refugees to open. This to ‘bring some peace to the community.’