It took eight years, but today it is becoming clear whether the De Krijgsman new-build district in Muiden came about through shady deals. The Council of State will let you know before noon whether the municipality of Gooise Meren and project developer KNSF Vastgoed should make public documents about the residential area that have remained secret for a long time. The case was brought by NH Nieuws eight years ago. A short review.
With the arrival of a large new housing estate on the site of the former gunpowder factory, Muiden changed forever eight years ago. Much had to be made to give way, including the allotment gardens and the local sports club. It caused a lot of social and political unrest and even led to one of the largest claims for damages in Dutch history.
Countless young families now live there, but that was quite different eighteen years ago. At that time there was a gunpowder factory on the so-called KNSF site of Muiden, since time immemorial. A factory from which Muiders noticed advantages for decades, including employment, but also certainly disadvantages: the factory sometimes exploded, resulting in deaths and injuries.
When the factory closes its doors for good eighteen years ago, there has been talk of housing on the plot for some time. That plan has many opponents locally and that feeling also plays out in local politics.
Houses on a dangerous piece of land
The developments are causing a lot of tug-of-war between project developer KNSF Vastgoed and the then municipality of Muiden. KNSF Vastgoed already has far-reaching plans to clean up the gunpowder factory site, because there are still countless unexploded explosives. A costly plan, but KNSF Vastgoed wants to do its best and build 1,700 houses as compensation.
The municipality of Muiden thinks that number is much too high, especially because such a large residential area has enormous consequences for the size of the small town. By way of illustration: the population has almost doubled. And that weighs heavily on society.
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The two parties, meanwhile, can’t come to an agreement. In the end, KNSF Vastgoed feels so opposed by Muiden that it one of the largest claims for damages in Dutch history puts on the table: 360 million euros. If you can’t build, you have to pay. The fear that this claim will become reality pushes Muiden into a crisis both politically and financially. If the municipality has to pay, it will go bankrupt and that will continue to work.
It all works out in the end, it seems. KNSF Vastgoed and the municipality of Muiden will reach an agreement in 2014. The site will be cleaned up and eventually built on. All’s well that ends well, you might think. But appearances are deceiving.
Secret agreements and anger among Muiders
How the municipality of Muiden and project developer KNSF Vastgoed managed to shake hands at the time still remains unclear. The agreement between the two remained secret in 2014 and remains so to this day. Hardly anyone knows what it contains. People who do know should keep their jaws tight.
But that in itself is not even the biggest problem. The consequences of the agreement soon become clear in Muiden. For example, it becomes known that after many decades the local sports club, right next to the gunpowder factory site, will have to disappear. Fierce protests ensue, but to no avail. Finally, the wrecking ball goes into the canteen and the fields are dug up.
The same fate awaits the allotment garden complex a little further on, where at least eighty Muiders have had an allotment garden for decades. A beloved place where generations grow up. Also the allotment gardens must make way for the KNSF plans. Long protests are also useless here.
Muiders already know it: the big plan touches the heart of Muider society.
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Eight years later: much different, questions remain
A lot has changed in the past eight years. The residential area is almost ready, the sports club has a new location and the availability of a brand new sports park. On the other side of the city, gardening is already underway. Some members of the sports club and some allotment gardeners don’t even know any better. Yet the older Muiders are still haunted by history.
There is still a lot of secrecy surrounding the plans. What agreements have been made? What are the consequences? What amounts are involved? Was this all fair? These are all questions that Muiders ask.
Struggling for answers
In order to get answers to these questions, NH Nieuws already submitted a WOB request in 2015 to force the municipality of Muiden to be transparent about the agreements made. However, that does not work. The municipality of Muiden provides a few documents, but the most important information remains secret.
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NH News appeals. It leads to a lawsuit. In court it appears that the municipality of Gooise Meren, which Muiden has since merged into, ‘can no longer find’ the relevant documents. The judge forces the municipality to look again. With success: the municipality eventually comes up with moving boxes full of documents. Hundreds of documents are handed over to the judge for review. Much becomes public, but even now an important part remains secret. In the end, the court forced the municipality to make the documents public three years ago.
The stocking is not over yet. KNSF Vastgoed jumps in and argues that disclosure of the documents would harm its interests. Ultimately, the highest Dutch judicial body, the Council of State, must make a judgment. It produces a lot of new pieces, but the biggest secrets still remain secret.
Why does NH News keep fighting?
The KNSF project, or De Krijgsman as the new housing estate is now called, has left an enormous mark on Muiden in recent years.
The wounds for many Muiders themselves have still not healed. They still have the feeling of being ‘peeped’. Why did the sports club and the allotment gardeners have to leave? And why couldn’t they do anything about it themselves? Rumors of conflicts of interest and favoritism have been circulating for many years. NH News believes it is important that citizens know what is being decided – in this case by the municipality and a project developer – about their living environment. This should be done in public, not behind closed doors.
Are the questions that Muiders have still been answered? The judges of the Council of State deliberated extensively on the matter last November. It is a very last chance to get to the table how everything came about at the time. It will therefore be known today whether disclosure will be made or whether the secret documents will remain under lock and key for the coming years.