Reactions to preferred route Ventilus
“You can’t buy my health. I’m moving, period!”
Farmer Francky Snaet from Lichtervelde is one of the 80 affected. Above his house and his company, the Ventilus high-voltage line will come above ground. While it’s no surprise, he can’t help laughing. ” I still think it is a bad choice that will entail a lot of legal fodder that this will be destroyed at the Council of State. You will oppose that. Certainly, we will go through the legal procedure completely, we will not shy away from it. Despite this decision. I’m not going to live here, my health is not for sale. Period, I’m moving.
“The underground story is better for the view, but for the radiation it is just the same as above ground. You just don’t see it, the visual is not there. But for radiation underground there is also an impact for people who live, work and live above it. So you don’t think it’s a good solution at all? No, they have now chosen the worst possible solution. They will continue with that. But it will be for the next government to solve this.”
Mayors: “We do not rule out further legal action” (Dochy)
The West Flemish mayors remain convinced that a completely underground variant of direct current is “the most sustainable solution”. That says Flemish member of parliament and mayor of Ledegem Bart Dochy (CD&V). “Today we are taking step three in the twelve steps to arrive at a regional spatial implementation plan. So that means there are still a lot of steps to go. Firstly, the plenary meeting in May, and also the public inquiry, which will be held in would take place in the fall.”
The mayors are happy with a number of accompanying measures, but do not rule out further legal action. “We appreciate that the Flemish government, at the request of Minister Crevits, mentions parallel underground direct current connections in the framework of agreements with the network operators in order to achieve lower radiation exposure,” says Dochy. “The municipalities do retain the right to take legal action, whether or not together with citizen or business groups.”
Reaction Vooruit and Groen: “Clearness about compensation needed quickly”
Opposition parties Vooruit and Groen are pleased that there is more clarity about Ventilus. Both Groen co-chairman Jeremie Vaneeckhout and Vooruit member of parliament Bruno Tobback do ask that there is now also clarity about the compensation for local residents.
Mayor Wingene: “slap in the face”
Lieven Huys (CD&V), the mayor of Wingene, is disappointed. The line is just coming above ground in Wingene, and that “is a slap in the face”, he says. Huys “expects objections from residents, companies and perhaps even municipalities at every step in the process”.
“Various routes have been investigated and there was only one route in which we are involved. It is exactly that plan that was chosen today,” says Lieven Huys van Wingene. “The high-voltage line comes above ground with us, which we expected somewhere because our municipality is sparsely populated, but that is still a slap in the face.” According to Huys, the appearance of the village will “change once and for all.” In any case, the mayor of Wingene expects protests against the Ventilus route. “A lot of water will still have to be carried to the sea before the piles are here. We expect that objections from residents, companies and perhaps even municipalities will follow at every step in the process,” it sounds.