Mayor Annelies Dewulf already sees the plans. “I can only applaud this and hope that it will get off the ground effectively. Certainly for small municipalities and villages this can mean an extra incentive for the self -employed,” she says.
In the main municipality of Zuienkerke there are still a few basic facilities, such as a butcher, a neighborhood store, a post office and a cash machine. But in the surrounding villages, residents have to go to Wenduine or Blankenberge for their groceries or a cafe visit.
“The café disappeared six to seven years ago and the shop was nothing earlier. Now there is nothing left at all,” says village resident Carine Blomme from Nieuwmunster. “That is a loss, because placing you missing to come together.”