Entrepreneur Mans Otter has had plans for years for a supermarket in his business premises on the De Tweeling industrial estate in Veenoord. The municipality of Emmen does not want to issue a permit for this. The most recent course of action before the country’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, does not change this.
The current zoning plan allows only home furnishings or a shop for equestrian equipment at this location. Otter would like this to be converted to retail, so that a supermarket is also possible. In 2019, Otter submitted a request for this to the municipality, which was rejected by the council a year later.
After going to the objections committee, the case ended up with the Council of State in 2021. Otter argued that the refusal violates European rules. At the end of last year, the Council finally ruled. The conclusion was that Emmen’s motivation to reject the entrepreneur’s request was inadequate. It forced the municipality of Emmen to take a new decision.
The college has now completed this. It will be presented to council next week. The outcome is not surprising: the view that expansion of retail is not a good idea at this location remains valid. According to the council, there is no need to amend the zoning plan.
According to the council, there is oversupply and the local population and spending in shops are under pressure. That is why the focus has been on retail concentration in the center of adjacent Nieuw-Amsterdam, in order to keep the facilities up to standard and to curb vacancy.
“Retail trade at De Tweeling leads to fragmentation of the supply and the accessibility of functions. For that reason, it is highly undesirable to facilitate a retail destination on this business park,” the municipality writes. Only existing retail trade is allowed, because they had already been located here for some time when the zoning plan was determined.
The city council will decide on the new decision next Tuesday. The rejection of Otter’s request is expected to stand. The council already voted against his request in 2020.