The municipality of Assen wants a maximum of 44 children to play simultaneously on a playing field near two primary schools in the Kloosterveen district. The school boards of IKC Het Sterrenschip and CKC Het Krijt do not understand the intention of the municipality at all.
The new rule was devised to prevent noise nuisance for local residents. According to a spokesperson, the municipality received several complaints and requests for enforcement from local residents who are bothered by the noise of the children playing.
According to the schools, if the municipality continues with the standard of 44 children, it will no longer be possible for more than one class to play on the field at the same time. According to the directors of both schools, this causes problems during breaks.
In addition to the playing field, the schools also have three school yards where children can play during their break. According to director Tineke Dolfing of Het Krijt, moving the children to those squares is not really an option.
“We have two squares especially for the lower classes, while the older children take a break on the playing field. The upper students are actually too old for those kindergarten squares. There is also a roof square where the upper classes play, but it would be much too busy there if a of the playing field groups also have to go there.”
If the rule is introduced anyway, Dolfing is also thinking of shortening the breaks as a possible solution. “But either way, the children will bear the brunt of it.” She therefore asks the municipality to increase the maximum number on the playing field to 70 children.
There are currently no noise rules for the playing field. During the construction of the district, the municipality forgot to adjust the residential use of the site of the field. Local residents have reported the error to the municipality.
To accommodate local residents, the municipality already removed the fences that surround the field last year. A number of local residents complained about the noise the fences made when a football was kicked against them. The municipality also wants to install noise barriers and take other measures to prevent nuisance.
In their letter, the school boards also point out that the municipality made a mistake and emphasize that the playing field was already there before houses were built around it. “In our view, it is unreasonable for the students to bear the brunt of this omission,” the letter reads.
The schools would like to consult with the municipality about a better solution for the noise nuisance. The municipality has announced that it does not yet want to address the concerns of the schools and will include the letter in the decision procedure.