A letter has arrived on the doorstep of 19 landowners in Alkmaar, requesting them to sell their plot to the municipality. It wants to build more homes and has a number of plots of land along the N242 in mind.
To achieve its housing development goals, the municipality is now also looking at locations outside the city. This concerns a strip on the east side of the N242, between Luna Park and the Omval and a number of plots on the west side.
The two areas totaling 69 hectares emerged in the government’s ‘Straatje bij bij’ (Street near it) study. “We cannot solve the enormous housing construction challenge in the inner city alone. An additional street in existing neighborhoods can alleviate the housing shortage,” explains councilor Anjo van de Ven.
First right of sale
That is why the municipality of Alkmaar is now establishing the pre-emptive right for the plots around the N242. This means that the municipality will have the first right of purchase for the next three years if owners want to sell.
According to the councilor, this is a good development. “We want to build for our residents, but there must be sufficient locations available. We have to investigate further whether and when homes will be built, but we have now built in some certainty.”
Maintain control
The pre-emptive right gives the municipality control to achieve its housing construction goals. At the same time, it ensures that market parties do not raise prices and it remains possible to build affordable homes.
The landowners have now been informed of the pre-emptive right, but they are not obliged to sell the land. The municipality is only looking at possibilities for new locations. On December 18, the municipal council will make a final decision on the Preferential Rights Act.