First he was allowed to expand, then suddenly not again. That is why a goat holder on the Oostindie in Zevenhuizen, on the provincial border near Roden, is now demanding clarity at the Council of State. Can his company grow with 190 to 1800 goats? The highest administrative court doubts.
Five years ago, the municipality granted a permit for the expansion of goat farming. The goat holder wants to build a new modern stable that emits less odor and particulate matter. In addition, he wants to keep more dairy goats than breeding goats. According to the cattle farmer, the environment and public health are improving with a new modern stable. But after objections from the neighborhood of residents who mainly fear their health, the lower court passed a line through that permit.
The judge dedicated the municipality to see again whether she should first do an extensive environmental effect investigation (EIA) into the expansion. But instead, the municipality withdrew the expansion permit.
According to the lawyer of Westerkwartier, there is now a new zoning plan, in which extensions of goat farms are no longer permitted, even if it were only one goat. The reason is the suspicion that goat farms in a radius of two kilometers around the livestock farming can cause airway infections among local residents. Studies from the GGD and the RIVM show that there are more pneumonia in the vicinity of goat farms than average.
Nevertheless, a tough relationship between goats and the airway disorders has not yet been demonstrated. Nevertheless, the municipality of Westerkwartier did not want to take any risks and it still deleted the earlier permit. The highest administrative court today questioned this during the court case.
“The lower court only dedicated the municipality to see if an EIA was still needed. But instead, the municipality withdrew the entire permit. The question is whether whether or not to be legally possible. Moreover, in a ruling in 2023 we have already determined a similar case about a Groningen goat farm that a EIA is not necessary. If we are to grant that statement.”
According to the Westerkwartier spokesperson, the municipality no longer wants to grant an expansion permit, and finds an EIA at this stage pointless. Westerkwartier has meanwhile introduced a goat stop. Even an extension with one goat is no longer allowed. And although there is still no rock -hard evidence scientifically that germs of goats deliver directly for pneumonia to immediate residents, the municipality takes the certain for the uncertain.
That is against the sore leg of the goat holder’s lawyer. He hopes that the Council of State writes in the ruling that an EIA is not necessary and that the municipality must still grant an expansion permit. If necessary, only a permit for the construction of a new stable for the same number of goats that the company now has, the counsel supplemented.
A neighbor who lives sixty meters from goat farm is falically against expansion. She believes that goat farming does not belong at all in a building ribbon with many houses. “We are against every expansion. Because the nuisance and the number of germs will only increase. That is because the farmer will keep more dairy goats than breeding goats.” And, according to her, milk goats are a much greater risk.
The Council of State will weigh all the pros and cons against each other and will make a decision within a few weeks.