Political parties DSW, VVD and CDA of the municipality of Westerveld presented the plans of the new council today. The new coalition agreement does not say a word about controversial themes in the municipality, such as the use of plant protection products in bulb cultivation.
“We will first enter into a dialogue about this,” explains Geke Kiers of DSW. “We first await the national regulations that are coming for the outlying area. We are not ahead of the curve. The best thing is when things come from the sector.” Renate Masselink of coalition party VVD adds: “If you are talking about rural areas or agriculture, we want to see it as a whole and not focus on a separate part of it.”
Like many other Drenthe municipalities, the Westerveld municipality is under pressure when it comes to nitrogen emissions. Within the municipal boundaries are three vulnerable Natura 2000 areas, which must be protected against too much nitrogen.
When it comes to personnel, there are also problems within Westerveld. In the past year, for example, the municipality had many vacancies that were not filled. But there are also headaches to stay financially. The municipality will receive more tasks from the government, the costs related to the social domain are rising, arrears from the corona crisis have to be made up and the question is what the developments in Ukraine will mean for the piggy bank in the coming years.
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