The shooting club in Koog aan de Zaan has enjoyed shooting for 41 years, but that now seems to be coming to an end. The Municipality of Zaanstad has plans to demolish the entrance and exit to the A8 for safety reasons. Bas van der Weide of the shooting club tells NH Radio that he is completely overwhelmed.
Many residents find the short slip road a dangerous point, which is why the municipality wants to close this slip road in Koog aan de Zaan. The intention is to create a tunnel. With the closure, the shooting club will also be demolished.
Bas van der Weide of the shooting club: “It is said that they never knew that the shooting club was there and of course we think that is special.” The shooting club has never been warned that this scenario is on the table.
See below the preferred alternative of the municipality of Zaanstad. Text continues below the video.
According to Bas, the construction where the shooting club is located is special because it is soundproof. “Or that it could cause a problem for the people or companies in the area.”
Move
A new location is not just found. “There is really a bit more to it given the character of our sport and the license that comes with it. And it is a significant investment.
According to Bas, a merger is not an option, because the shooting club in Zaandam already has a considerable number of members: “We believe that if you get even bigger, it will become unclear who is walking around. And you understand with the nature of our sport that it does. It’s important to know who’s right in front of you.”
Lots of question marks
Bas is not yet sure whether the shooting club will really be demolished. He thinks the information is very unclear. “If you look at the plans they are communicating to the outside world, it seems clear to us that this is going away.”