Sun protection to a historic colony house or solar panels on a monument, what is actually allowed in the colonies of beneficency? On the one hand, the colonies want to renew and make it more sustainable, but are on the other hand with a protected status. A puzzle that is now a municipal answer.
The villages of Frederiksoord and Wilhelminaoord in the municipality of Westerveld have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021. Frederiksoord has a protected face and Wilhelminaoord lies in what they call the ‘buffer zone’. With such a status, only minimal changes may be made.
What is and what is not allowed is laid down in a new plan from the municipality of Westerveld. This states, for example, which building rules must be met. There are also requirements for the architecture and inheritance establishment. For example, in the colony houses the detailing in the facades must be preserved, the color should not be changed, the frames should remain of wood, the glass should not mirror, its hedges in the front garden that can be seen from the street are not desirable and must remain in the same place.
“Not much had been arranged yet and that means that not so much can be,” says Alderman Renate den Hollander (VVD). According to Den Hollander, the plan is now coming for people. “It is now clear what is allowed and that means that you do not have to talk continuously and have to transfer the discussion.”
For example, if you look at solar panels and sun blinds, there will now be more room for residents. For example, solar panels are allowed on the back of the yard or on the ground or unobtrusively on outbuildings of monuments.