Livestock farmer and arable farmer Albert Piel meets the provincial government: “Defense takes my child. Our farm is too big to move.” The Ministry of Defense knows that too and that is why it was certain with an expropriation procedure against the farmer. But without telling him that himself.
It is one of the harrowing stories of residents and farms of Laaghalerveen who passed today in Provincial States (PS). No fewer than ten inhabitants today came to the provincial government about the Defense expansion plans for the De Haar training grounds.
The qualifications “disrespectful, overwhelm, not communicate” often flew over the table. So many speakers with one topic in PS, that is unique. It indicates how high it is the inhabitants and how they feel in the mangle through defense. The inhabitants also put the completely lack of an area process and consultation.
The provincial government spoke today about the Spatial Planning Plan for Defense, because it may submit a ‘view’ on that plan. Defense wants to expand De Haar training ground. That plan in a nutshell: 292 hectares, that country must be largely given up by agriculture. It seems strong that the defense with that land not only wants to realize new training area, but also new nature. The adjacent Witterveld is from Defense, but that is now Natura 2000 and that area does not want to involve the Ministry of Defense in the expansion.
Piel is not the only farmer to leave. Ten farms have to leave the field, says Margriet Slotman of Dorpsbelangen Hooghalen and the De Haar working group. “Farmers lose their entire company, the yard with home or large parts of their company or so much land that they can no longer continue.”
The daughter of family business Ter Braak-Rijgwaart was also in the starting blocks for takeover. And now? “Defense comes by but has no answer to questions. End result: don’t know what the future looks like and poor sleep,” says Miriam de Weerd on behalf of the family. The children are also in the starting blocks at arable farmer Marinus Dikboom to take over the company and the farm shop. “They no longer have a future.”
Farmer Geert Tijms had to give way with his in -laws when the hair was laid out, and now again: “Our 75 -hectare arable farm and our entire house plot are going. I am here because our son who took over the company is completely done with it.”
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