Several motorized events have been canceled in recent weeks. For example, a line went through a part of a tour of dirt bikes that was not allowed to drive over the territory of the municipality of De Wolden. Earlier, an off-road tour through Ruinen had already been canceled and two stages of the Drenthe Rally have been canceled.
In all cases this happened after the intervention of the Stichting Natuurbeschermingswacht Meppel. “We have filed two lawsuits and we have submitted an enforcement request to the province at the Drenthe Rally, although we do not know whether that had any influence,” says Geert Starre of the foundation. That foundation also ensured that the expansion of the mountain bike route in Vledder could not take place.
According to the Nature Conservancy, the cancellation of the Pauperparadijs cannot be attributed to them. “We have looked at all permits there, but we have not filed a lawsuit,” says Starre. “There could also be little damage to nature, just from nitrogen, but not much. There was no disturbance of species.” In the end, the organization itself made the decision to cancel the performances in Veenhuizen.
Unsatisfied
According to his own words, Starre does not initiate lawsuits to hinder the associations. “We point out to the government that they are breaking the law,” said Starre. “We are litigating against the government, not the clubs and the law has been acted upon.”
Starre is dissatisfied that the tour was not completely canceled in Meppel and De Wolden. “The tour will go through the municipality of Meppel. Environmental damage occurs there. Meppel has issued an event permit and that is agreed. The fact that they are not allowed to go through De Wolden is because they only said: no objection. That is not enough”, so Starre said earlier.
Starre makes the comparison with someone who is stopped behind the wheel while drinking. “And then you say to the officer: ‘Yes, but I do have a swimming certificate.’ Well, that’s not enough. To be allowed to drive you must have a driver’s license and you are not allowed to drink while driving. In addition, your car must also have a license plate.”
According to him, the judge looks at things that did not go well. “The judge goes through all the objections and if they see something that is not acceptable, they press the pause button. That has now happened in De Wolden, the permit is now temporarily suspended. One thing is enough to prevent something from passing.” go,” Starre said. “There were a lot more things wrong with motocross, like no participation, disruption, felling trees, nitrogen and more.”
Phone calls
Starre now sees small shifts in applications for permits for events. “People now come to us to ask whether it is correct. It is very nice that organizations look more closely at whether something is correct.” And yet it cannot go on forever. “Pauperparadijs did a lot of good, he wanted to arrange it well, but in the end they didn’t get it done. Some clubs will continue in the way for which they do have a permit. Pauperparadijs will not go through, because they wanted to do it well .”
Since the lawsuits, Starre’s phone has been red hot. “I get phone calls from people who say they are happy that something will be done about it, but of course I also get calls from people who are not happy. That causes a lot of chagrin.”
No new search
According to Starre, he doesn’t look for nails at low tide. “No, if someone wants to cross through a bunch of crocuses, that is possible. As long as that does not happen in places where it is not allowed, such as the Reestdal. I also do nothing against noise violations in the city center of Meppel. but since it does not disturb the environment and will not violate the event permit.”
Starre also doesn’t currently have a new event in sight that he will throw himself into. “We don’t have anything concrete, that’s also because the permit is granted just in time. And of course there are also a lot of events where nothing can go wrong.” Nevertheless, he keeps his finger on the pulse of the various permit applications. “There is a limit: break the law, why should we accept that?”