The owner of Sportcomplex de Braken, located on the outskirts of Boxtel, offered his sports hall as an emergency reception location for asylum seekers, in order to relieve the situation in Ter Apel. After consultation, the municipality of Boxtel did not go into business with the sports hall owner, because, according to the mayor, he asked an ‘exorbitant amount’ in rent for the sports hall. There are many complaints about the current location on the Velder estate, as it turned out on Thursday. Asylum seekers think, for example, that the reception is too remote.
The fact that the sports hall was in the picture as another location is apparent from the mail traffic between the municipality of Boxtel and the sports hall owner that, after an appeal to the Public Government Act (woo), is in the hands of Omroep Brabant.
‘We haven’t heard anything for weeks’
In mid-June, the owner of Sportcomplex de Braken contacted the municipality of Boxtel. He saw the situation in Ter Apel and it seemed unreasonable to him that people would sleep outside there, while his sports complex would be empty all summer due to the summer holidays.
According to the sports hall owner, the municipality responded very positively to his proposal. “They were thrilled with the initiative. They absolutely loved it and would call me back.” But it remained silent. “The contact was difficult and I hadn’t heard anything for a week. After two or three weeks I received the email that they would like to come and see the location.”
4300 euros per day
The enthusiasm was short-lived. The mail contact states that the sports hall owner charges 179 euros for renting the sports hall and tennis court for one hour, excluding water consumption. The sports hall must be rented for 24 hours, which amounts to about 4300 euros per day. Converted that is about 30,000 euros per week. According to the sports hall owner a reasonable price.
Not according to the municipality of Boxtel, according to an email to the sports hall owner. “We cannot agree with your quote. The price is really too high. (…) In addition, it is unrealistic to charge an hourly rate for 24 hours. We can agree to a third of the rate you indicate. that is not negotiable for you, we will not provide emergency shelter on the Brakes.” In mail contact between the municipality of Boxtel and Sint-Michielsgestel it can be read: “De Braken asks an exorbitant amount in rent. That cannot be justified and is at the expense of support.”
‘Treated badly’
“What really pisses me off is how they treated me. I never heard anything and they had to ‘collect information’ again and again. All that spinning, it doesn’t make me feel good. I then think; just grab the cow by his horns,” said the owner of the sports hall.
The sports hall owner later sent an invoice to the municipality of Boxtel for his services rendered in preparation for the possible reception location. In total about 625 euros. According to him, this invoice was never paid. According to the mayor, the sports hall owner initiated the activities on the invoice himself and no agreements have been made about this, as the documents state: “I did not require him to make any effort.”
Known from the municipality
In addition to the issue with the possible emergency shelter, the sports hall owner also has another case with the municipality about the future of the sports complex. He would like to accommodate migrant workers in combination with the sports activities. A ‘good business model’ according to him, but the municipality would not feel like this.
The situation causes frustration. One thing is certain for the sports hall owner: “An entrepreneur and a civil servant simply do not have the same blood type, as it turns out.”
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For example, 450 refugees from Ter Apel will live on the Velder estate in the coming months