For almost three years now, because of too much nitrogen in nature reserves, fewer houses have been built, fewer highways are built and hardly any businesses are expanded. Minister Van der Wal wants to tackle this problem more quickly, but the cabinet’s new plan has been received with mixed feelings. The House of Representatives will discuss the plan today.
The country will be locked for construction and economic development if the cabinet’s new nitrogen approach continues. Industry clubs Bouwend Nederland, VNO and FME warn about this in De Telegraaf. “The minister first wants to see whether nature is recovering, then she will see if anything is possible. That means that we cannot build any houses or roads in the next two years,” says foreman Maxime Verhagen of Bouwend Nederland. “The proposed approach of the minister is unworkable in practice.”
The cabinet presented the new approach as a definitive solution. But according to Verhagen, the approach is aimed at the long term and ‘the short term is still there’. He calls on the cabinet to immediately start buying out companies. This will reduce nitrogen emissions, some will be reserved for nature restoration and some will go to the construction of homes and roads. “Otherwise we won’t solve the housing crisis.”
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