If the labor migrants do not leave Speelstad Oranje or if the owners of the cottage park expand the current number, the penalty payments can be up to a maximum of 150,000 euros. This is apparent from the meeting of the objections committee that took place in the town hall in Beilen.
“This is an unreasonably high penalty,” says the lawyer for the owners of the park.
Since March, the owners of the pipodorp in Oranje have been subject to a cease and desist order, because the municipality does not want migrant workers to stay at the recreation park. With the threat of a high penalty, among other things, the municipality hopes to stop illegal occupation. The owners are given two months to accommodate the migrant workers elsewhere. If they do not comply with this, they have to pay 25,000 euros every month.
In addition, a new order subject to periodic penalty payments has been in place since Monday: 12,000 euros must be deposited for every additional holiday home that is occupied from that day. In total, this can amount to 150,000 euros, after which the municipality can decide to increase that amount. Municipal supervisors regularly visit the park to check whether the owners are following the rules.
In the meantime, an objection procedure against the municipality is underway. The owners of the holiday homes do not agree with the course of events and lodged an objection with an independent committee at the beginning of May. According to the owners, enforcement by the municipality of Midden-Drenthe is unjustified, not well substantiated and the current permit does offer space for housing migrant workers.
“The municipality is now guided by planning desirability, not planning reality,” says the owners’ lawyer today.
The difference of opinion mainly lies in the meaning of the words ‘accommodation recreation’ and ‘household’. According to the municipality, residential recreation does not include work, but relaxation and leisure time. In addition, the houses must be rented by a household. According to the municipality, this does not include a group of labor migrants without mutual relationships.
According to the owners’ lawyer, a group of friends can also be considered under household. “They can also rent a holiday home together.” In addition, the lawyer says, it concerns a temporary stay of a few months, the migrant workers have their main residence elsewhere and the municipality does allow Ukrainian refugees at the same park who are also allowed to work in the area.