Will there be a goat farm with 2,000 goats on the outskirts of Enkhuizen? A question that has been around for about four years. Today a case is before the administrative court. It must assess whether the municipality was right to reject an application for a permit.
In 2018, initiators will submit a permit application for a goat farm on the Elsenburg with 2,000 goats. The resistance has been great from the start. Certainly because several studies have shown that local residents health risks† For example, there is an increased risk of pneumonia.
Becomes started a petition and for a while the plans seem to be canceled as the Province because of the health risks a goat stop announces that no new goat farms may be added.
Application still pending
But because the permit application was submitted just before the goat stop comes into effect, the municipality of Enkhuizen has to deal with it anyway. The amazement for local residents, it is great if an environmental permit is still granted at the end of December 2020, and goat farming is allowed to come there.
Hans Voorend, foreman of the No Goat Farming Committee in Enkhuizen, doesn’t understand anything. “Other municipalities in the Netherlands say: we refuse these kinds of permits because of health risks. The council in Enkhuizen simply issues the permit and lets people fall. I think that is a terrible thing.”
The SP is also committed to getting as many people as possible to object. Ultimately, 465 objections were submitted. The Environment Agency advises the municipality also decided to start a more difficult procedure and look more closely at the health aspects, after which the municipality decided to reject the permit in second instance.
Goat farmers go to court
It is reason for the initiators of goat farming to go to court. Today, the case in Haarlem serves with considerable interest. Because in addition to representatives of the municipality and the goat farmers, another 80 people, probably all local residents, have registered as interested parties.
Partly for this reason, a larger room has been made available by the court. It is not yet clear when the verdict will follow.