‘Ugly fences’ Heerhugowaard bridge disappear without a solution for bridge jumpers

The nuisance consisted of ‘traffic dangerous situations, noise nuisance and entering the private property of local residents’ by young people who jumped from the bridge into the water in good weather.

When the municipality of Heerhugowaard placed the fences last May, there was already a large, large, yellow sign to prevent young people from jumping into the water from the bridge on the Gibbon. When that didn’t help, high fences were built. But that didn’t stop the jumpers either.

terrorized

A resident anonymously informed NH Nieuws last year that to be near despair: “It starts at 7:30 am and it doesn’t end until around 11:30 am,” she said. “The noise goes on and on, so I can’t even open the windows when it’s hot. If you say something about it, you get a big mouth. Not only from the children, but especially from the parents who think it’s all normal .”

She continued: “I don’t do anything to my garden anymore because it will be demolished in no time. They also throw mud on our windows and our children are threatened if they say anything. We are just being terrorized.”

Reporter Tom Jurriaans spoke to local residents last year after the fences were placed:

Suitable solution

When the fences were erected – which met with a lot of resistance because residents thought they were ugly – it was decided that they would be removed as soon as a suitable solution had been found. A solution was understood to mean: ‘another location, where young people have the opportunity to jump into water from a certain height’.

But it didn’t come. After ‘extensive research with various partners such as the Geestmerambacht, Hoogheemraadschap, youth work and residents’, the municipality concludes that ‘realizing a good alternative in the water around or near the beach of Luna is not feasible’.

Enforcement

“Placing extra objects in the water also attracts more birds. And that leads to extra pollution,” according to the municipality. “The water quality of the Park of Luna currently meets the standards for bathing water, but more birds and therefore more droppings will worsen the quality of the water.”

That is why, according to the municipality, investing in an alternative in the recreation area is ‘unwise’ and there is no solution ‘that will ensure satisfaction for everyone’.

That’s why the fences are now being removed. In order not to go back to the old situation, according to the municipality of Dijk en Waard, the boas and the police will enforce nuisance behaviour.