Residents opposite the renovated Plus supermarket in Elim went to court because they thought that the municipality of Hoogeveen did not take them enough. They were partly right, but in the end nothing changes the situation.
Three years ago a family at the Carstenswijk was concerned about the expansion of the Plus supermarket. The store was considerably enlarged to 1300 square meters, and five apartments were built on the building. The municipality stipulated that there had to be a noise screen to stop the noise from loading and unloading, but she did not indicate how big that screen should be.
Only later, in November 2022, a noise study was done. It showed that a screen of 13 meters long and 2 meters high would be enough. That screen has since been placed. However, the local residents wanted a higher screen of 3 meters and therefore went to the Council of State.
The judge ruled that the municipality was indeed too vague about the noise screen in the first instance. But because the problem was properly investigated later, the screen remains as it is now. The court believes that the measure is sufficient to limit noise pollution.
Over the five new apartments above the supermarket, the judge says that the neighbors have received a little less privacy. But because the distance between the buildings is 18 meters, that is not a major problem according to the judge.