East Flanders. The East Flanders delegation has relegated the policy plan “Make room for East Flanders 2050” to the trash can. During its July 20 meeting, the delegation addressed the numerous reactions to the spatial policy plan that had been presented in recent weeks. Many mayors feared an invasion of skyscrapers and the disappearance of entire village centers. “Since there is no support for this plan, the only thing left is to withdraw it,” the delegation concluded.
Under pressure from almost all the mayors, the province of East Flanders withdrew its political plan – ‘Make room for East Flanders 2050’. This plan was to replace the Regional Spatial Structure Plan in 2024. The mayors of Markedal, Braquel and Ronse had already expressed their concern. They were very concerned about the “legal security of their people and the invasion of skyscrapers on their lands.” In this plan, 15,000 homes in the Flemish Ardennes alone were to make room for nature.
Besides a number of material errors in the plan, many questions are raised primarily about the level of detail, feasibility, and financial consequences. In addition, we mainly see municipalities affected by their autonomy. And to be clear, we don’t want that: we want to be able to work in partnership with our municipal authorities. There is no such partnership without the support of the municipal authorities. In order to restore the bond of trust between the county and the municipal authorities, it is therefore necessary to withdraw this policy plan, says MP Ann Verfleet, responsible for spatial planning.
A well-supported policy plan is better than a “quick” policy plan, as has been suggested for some time. This is also taken very seriously: therefore there will be no new policy plan during this term of the Board.
I think everyone would agree that there really needs to be a vision of how we want to approach space in East Flanders in the future. The various reactions from the public inquiry will already form a good basis to start on this vision’, concludes 1st Deputy Kurt Moens.
Julian Borremans
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