The municipality of Midden-Drenthe considers the expansion of the electricity network more important than the interests of the Stichting Keelbos Foundation, which stands up for public gay meeting places. The foundation’s attempt to keep the dead end weighbrugweg open seems to fail. There is also no new road.
Network manager Tennet is building new installations to create more space on the electricity grid in Drenthe and Overijssel. The plan is to build a new station on the Weegbrugweg near Wijster. Part of the road must give way for this.
It is a dead end with space for trucks at the end. But trucks hardly turn because no companies in the area have been added in recent years. Instead, the asphalt piece is used as a parking space for people who visit the water storage.
According to the municipality of Midden-Drenthe ‘, the area is suitable for recreation such as walking, fishing, walking dogs, et cetera’. According to Stichting Platform Keelbos (SPK), the ‘et cetera’ also includes the meeting of men by other men. Board member Hans Scheffer Emmelkamp said last year that the area is a popular meeting place. He is therefore against the closure of the road, but Midden-Drenthe wants the road to be able to build Tennet.
The municipality and SPK started a conversation with each other. SPK came up with the plan to construct a different path towards the area. Midden-Drenthe feels nothing for that. The water storage area is from Attero, the municipality says it has no interest in constructing a public road.
According to the municipality, the water storage remains accessible and parking on other public roads further on is possible. “Visitors to the water storage area must then run a little further than now,” says Midden-Drenthe. “It’s a few hundred meters.”
As far as the College of Mayor and Aldermen is concerned, the closure of the Weegbrugweg from the Scheidingsweg will continue, the city council still has to agree.