Villagers have been using it for a while, but yesterday the new village heart of Stompetoren was finally officially opened. Mayor Schouten van Alkmaar emphasized in her speech that the square has been a long-term affair. †It was long before the turn of the century that there were plans for a new village heart.”
Where there is now a supermarket, catering establishments and new homes, football used to be played. The lawns have given way and are now located right behind the square.
For the shopping Stompetorenaar, the square is a big step forward: until recently, the villagers could only choose from the limited range of the local supermarket, nowadays they can go to a real supermarket.
‘Even fresh bread’
“There is now even fresh bread, people are just barely walking across the square to the supermarket in their bathrobes,” says Sylvester Liefting of the Stompetoren Village Council.
Text continues below image
The Village Council has been committed to a village heart in Stompetoren for years. Now that the time has come, they are very satisfied. “The heart adds more than just functionality, you really notice that the village is now becoming more of a whole,” says Liefting.