Nature organizations are no longer holding back the construction of approximately 5,000 homes in the new De Suikerzijde district in Groningen. An agreement has been reached with the municipality about replacement nature.
This puts an end to a profound legal conflict in which the development of the residential area on the west side of the city was under heavy pressure. The Groningen Nature and Environment Federation and eight other nature organizations were opposed because water fields rich in birds had to make way for housing. They thought plans for new nature elsewhere were below par.
After three years of pleading and lengthy negotiations between the government and nature clubs, it has been agreed that more space will be made for the water bat and lake bat in the planning area of De Suikerzijde. This takes place in the intended recreation area. Outside the city, the Groninger Landscape provides an extra habitat for the black grebe. The bird can go to the Oosterpolder near Haren. To underline the deal, all parties signed an ‘agreement in outline’ on Wednesday.
‘All’s well that ends well’
Director Marco Glastra of Groninger Landschap is happy with the result. ‘All’s well that ends well. Groningen is a ‘world city’, but there is also nature. That is why we have to work well together in the design.” Jan-Willem Lobeek, director of Environmental Federation Groningen, is relieved. “This is a solution that everyone can live with.” According to alderman Rik van Niejenhuis, no fewer homes are being built. “We add a little more water and there is a little less recreation for people. We have one less building block, but we can put it somewhere else.”
At the heart of the conflict was the municipality’s wish to make housing possible in a breeding and foraging area for various species of bats and the very rare black-eared grebe. The municipality had received an exemption from the province that makes this possible.
The Groningen Nature and Environment Federation and the other nature clubs had no confidence in the municipality’s compensation plan for the protected animals. The bats and grebes should move to a pasture area near De Held, but that already houses another rare animal species: godwits. At the request of the nature organizations, the judge halted construction on De Suikerzijde. With the agreements in the agreement it is clear that the adjustment of the polder De Oude Held is no longer necessary.
From the trenches
In April it became clear that the municipality and the nature clubs had crawled out of the trenches. The progress of those talks was not communicated. This showed that mutual trust was fragile. The effect of the agreement would be tense until the last moment.
The development of De Suikerzijde goes hand in hand with the construction and modification of roads, such as Ring West. The government has millions on the shelf for this. If the plans were delayed too long, partly due to legal wrangling, the question was how long it would stay that way.