“Don’t you think that’s strange?” says a man with the long gray hair. He repeats that question several times. But the employee of the municipality does not give him a satisfactory answer. “You don’t answer, that’s also a reaction,” he concludes.
The man, “Kees, but rather no surname”, is anything but happy with the Boswonen plan on the Oude Roswinkelweg in Emmen. The plan involves the construction of eight homes in a forest that has yet to be planted on five hectares of farmland. Kees, together with other neighbours, is present during a presentation of the plan in the football canteen of football association Drenthina. Most local residents do not like the plan.
Kees: “We have also been presented with this plan in the past. We also indicated that we do not like this at all. If people do not want it, then the municipality should reject this plan.”
He doesn’t understand why the neighborhood is again asking for a response. In the past, the message has already been given that he and several local residents do not like it. And now they have to report it again? Because he thought that was so ‘weird’. The plan will affect the quality of life, he believes. “I came to live here for my peace of mind. And that will soon be gone.”
He’s not the only one who thinks this way. Eight houses means sixteen cars and children, according to a woman. “And they will all pass by our houses soon.” Another complains that the view will soon be over. According to a lady, the plan disrupts nature. “The intended plot is adjacent to the Emmerdennen forest area. The habitat of, among others, deer, owls and hares, which can still be seen regularly, is completely disturbed.”
The developer of the plan, Koen Warners, has been walking around with the Boswonen plan since 2014. He bought the five hectares that comprise the location in 2014. The plan has already encountered objections from local residents in the past.
The resistance from the neighborhood took time. Just like research and consultation with, among others, the province, the municipality, Staatsbosbeheer and local landowners. That is largely behind us. The biggest procedural step is now an amendment to the zoning plan.
The current plan includes the construction of eight houses – spread over the site – with a lot size of between 1500 and 2000 square meters. The proposed site is currently used for agricultural purposes.
The intention is that experimental housing will be realized within a newly planted forest that will remain open to the public. Public footpaths must cross the forest district.
According to Warners, it feels good that there is finally a concrete plan. He also listened to the negative reactions among local residents. “Everyone is entitled to an opinion,” he says. Warners is also co-owner of the Zandgat De Boer site (where the Broken Circle/Spiral Hill artwork is also located, ed.), which is somewhat close to the Boswonen plan. He and his partner have no concrete plans for this yet. “But the preference is for housing. But we must first discuss this with the municipality.”
As for the Boswonen plan: that will get a tail, says Kees. “We will certainly go to the complaints committee.”