The pig farm of Sander and Niels de Rooij from Heukelom was proudly presented last September as the first company in Brabant to be bought out to reduce nitrogen emissions. The municipality of Oisterwijk and the province paid the brothers 2.5 million euros, but they were then banned from working. It now appears that they want to expand another company in Oosteind near Oosterhout. And that is probably still allowed.
For years, the residents of Oisterwijk had to deal with the stench of pig farmers Sander and Niels de Rooij. It was a relief when the company was finally bought out at the end of last year. The province and municipality paid 2.5 million to the brothers. The animals have really been gone since the end of August.
At the beginning of October, the municipality of Oosterhout received a request for the expansion of another De Rooij company. A second stable is to be built at Hoge Dijk 44 in Oosteind.
Professional ban
The buyout in Heukelom is subject to a professional ban. Sander de Rooij was the owner of the company on paper and so the ban only applies to him. The company in Oosteind is also in his name. But because that company already existed before the buyout scheme in Heukelom, the professional ban does not apply to it.
The existing stable in Oosterhout is quite controversial. Since 2016, Sander de Rooij has had a nature permit from the province for keeping 3,320 pigs. That was still possible then. In Oosterhout, the arrival of these animals was closely monitored. There were major concerns about odor nuisance. The municipality could not refuse the application for the stable because it met all the rules.
De Rooij did not use his permit completely. He applied for an environmental permit for one stable and put 1,620 pigs in it. He wants to keep another 1,700 pigs in the new stable to be built. This means doubling the number of animals, but this is allowed according to the permit.
Nitrogen
According to the province, the buyout scheme in Heukelom was only aimed at reducing nitrogen on vulnerable nature. In this case it concerns the Kampina and the Oisterwijkse Vennen. The municipality of Oisterwijk paid 1.6 million. The province contributed 900,000 euros. “No other family businesses have been discussed,” a spokesperson said.
The municipality of Oosterhout admits that an entrepreneur with 2.5 million in public money in his pocket can ‘simply’ expand in another municipality. “In Oosterhout we want to get rid of intensive livestock farming. Expansion is almost impossible in the municipality,” a spokesperson said. “This is not yet a done deal. The councilor is looking at what is possible and what should be done.”
Latent space
The province is working on a withdrawal policy for ‘latent space’. That is the difference between the number of animals you are allowed to have on paper and the number you actually have. Until 1990, the number of animals you were allowed to have but did not have expired after three years. Not anymore nowadays.
According to the rules, a municipality can still withdraw that unused space if the permit for the construction of the stable has been issued, but nothing has been done with it after three years. “And that is not the case here,” says the spokesperson. “He is only now applying for the environmental permit for the construction of the second stable.”
So as long as the province’s withdrawal policy is not yet in place, livestock farmers can still keep more animals. Exactly what the province does not want. And with that the municipality of Oosterhout has a problem. Because although the municipal council does not want a new stable with extra animals, it is legally allowed. “We have to process the application according to the rules, so we will do that.”
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