Big worries, frustrations and sleepless nights; the impact of designating the hamlets of Alting and Smalbroek as possible locations for the construction of more than six hundred houses is significant.
This became apparent on Thursday evening during the meeting of the Spatial and Green Council Committee in Midden-Drenthe. The agenda included the mayor and aldermen’s plan to establish the so-called pre-emptive right on land in both hamlets.
In order to investigate whether the building plans are feasible, the mayor and aldermen first want to establish the pre-emptive right, which means that it has the right of first purchase in the event of sale. In this way, she wants to prevent land from being grabbed by project developers. The municipal council will decide whether the so-called Municipal Preferential Rights Act (Wvg) will be established on the land.
So it is far from a complete race that houses will actually be built. And although committee chairman Gineke Radix emphasized that Thursday evening it should only be about the Wvg, it was mainly about the fear of housing construction. Three residents from the hamlets addressed the committee.
There was criticism of the municipality’s way of communicating with the residents of both hamlets: many people had to hear about the plans through the media at the end of September. And things didn’t get better after that, said Smalbroek resident Hans Bos. He pointed out that an explanation on the municipality’s website even states that Midden-Drenthe will look at whether and how the existing houses can be preserved. “The municipality has chosen to increase the unrest in this way,” said Bos.
Insecurity
Harold Brunsting from Alting told how residents are suffering from the current uncertain situation. For example, the renovation of his house has been halted because he does not know what awaits him in his neighborhood. “Right now our lives are on pause. It wakes you up at night and some people can’t sleep at all. What do you think that uncertainty does to us?”
A comment from councilor Rieja Raven (PvdA/GroenLinks). an interview in De Krant van Midden-Drenthe The fact that ‘no one has the right to a view’ has also rubbed a number of residents the wrong way. Many live in Alting or Smalbroek for the space and the view. The eleven letters from objectors, including a group of residents of Smalbroek who are working together, also show that great unrest has arisen and that the Wvg plan alone evokes many emotions. Letter writers fear damage to their living enjoyment and the cultural-historical and landscape values of the areas.
Raven said on Thursday evening that she understands the emotions, but that the Municipal Executive has been instructed by the municipal council to build many houses quickly. She received a lot of critical questions from the council committee and admitted that communication with residents could have been better.
‘Different plan’
The critical attitude of municipal party Municipal Interest BBBondgenoot was striking. Committee member Jan Jonker wanted to make it clear that the municipality will not expropriate land if it does not acquire it through purchase. He also almost blew the whistle about another – still secret – plan from the municipality. “We have more information than we can discuss tonight and I find that very difficult,” said Jonker. “There is a plan here at the town hall for large-scale housing construction in a place that does not require a WVG and where more houses can be built. Then I ask myself: why are we now bringing these people into spiritual distress?”
At the request of Municipal Interests and opposition party VVD, the subject will be discussed further during the municipal council meeting on December 14. The decision on the Wvg will also be made that evening. At the moment, PvdA, GroenLinks, CDA, D66, ChristenUnie are in favor of establishing the right of pre-emption and Onhouden Midden-Drenthe is against. The choice of Municipal Interests and the VVD will be decisive in two weeks.