Politics in Central Drenthe does not yet say ‘yes’ to placing place name signs that also include the Drenthe names of the villages. Rode? The 150,000 that will cost to replace 95 signs.
This became apparent on Thursday evening during the meeting of the Spatial and Green Council Committee. What makes the ‘operation’ the most expensive is that the mayor and aldermen also want to immediately provide the new signs with so-called skyline pictograms. European regulations are expected to make these types of signs mandatory in the long term.
The council wants to kill two birds with one stone and make the signs bilingual in villages that have a different name in Drenthe than in Dutch and provide them with a skyline pictogram.
Councilor Schipper (CDA) proposes to the council to only replace the 95 signs along main approach roads and not those along smaller roads. That would cost the municipality 150,000 euros.
‘On request only’
A motion by the CDA last June was the reason for the plan, but now that the costs are clear, almost all parties are opposed to it. The reason is that a difficult financial period is coming for municipalities, because they are receiving less money from The Hague. 2026 is labeled as a ‘raven year’.
College parties PvdA, GroenLinks and the CDA itself proposed only placing bilingual signs if villages themselves request them. That would save money, because it is expected that not every village wants them. Opposition party VVD wants “no hodgepodge” and the signs in all villages to be replaced within two years.
Fear of theft
Municipal interests BBB fears theft, which will make the costs even higher. “Such signs would of course also look nice in a youth center,” said committee member Jan Jonker. “Our proposal: first hang them in Westerbork and, for my part, also in Orvelte and see in a year if it goes well. If so, we will also tackle the signs in other villages.” Westerbork has already submitted a request for bilingual signs.
Several parties suggested introducing the signs over more than two years to spread the costs. But according to councilor Schipper, Midden-Drenthe will actually be cheaper if it purchases all 95 signs at once.
Ultimately, the committee could not reach an agreement. According to initiator of the motion Harry Sikkenga (CDA), there must be a plan that all parties can agree on. They will breed there in the coming weeks. They will discuss further during the council meeting on March 21.