Over the bridge

In a tragedy that has dragged on for years, a page has been turned in the history of the municipality of Rotselaar.

As a reminder: the board of mayor and aldermen (CBS) of Rotselaar had declared an allotment permit admissible for the implementation of 36 building plots in a recognized nature reserve known as “De Vijvers”.

This decision was contrary to case law of the Council of State with regard to the principle “cancellation of planning permissions" introduced by the law of 22 December 1970.

The landowners submitted a slightly adapted proposal, after which the local authorities organized a second public inquiry.

On March 1, 2021, the council refused the allotment application after a negative advice from the environmental officer.

The board of mayor and aldermen explicitly acknowledge that the old license of 29 August 1969 has expired.

The objections of local residents and nature associations about the value of nature ​​were declared well-founded.

The joint campaign of Semper Ferraris (by means of complaints to the Justice Department and the Flemish Government) and the action committee “Het Ven” (which has collected a large number of objections) has thus been crowned with success.

This shows that joining forces with different associations does pay off!

This case has definitively not been closed. It remains to be seen whether the landowners will appeal, and an investigation is still pending into tolerated irregularities on the site.

Our association also has its hands full with other files.

On March 25, 2021, a hearing will take place at the permanent deputation of the province of Flemish Brabant in connection with an allotment application for a forest of 61.70 ares at the bottom of the Holleweg, which was approved by the municipality of Rotselaar on 5 October 2020 ( see our articles “the battle continues” and “Halloween posters”).

And then there is the Dennenlaan (see article “All Hands on Deck”). Semper Ferraris, together with our partners Natuurpunt Oost-Brabant and Bos +, is preparing the appeal procedure against the decision of the permanent deputation of the province of Flemish Brabant (December 17, 2020) in which an allotment application for the four hectares of extremely rare forest was approved.

We are still a long way from achieving our objectives.

To date, there is still no plan for the sustainable development of the Heikantberg as part of the Hageland heritage. Project developers hunt unimpeded for the remaining patches of forest. This should stop as soon as possible.

The Heikantberg must not become the “Far West”, where the Sheriff yields to the power of dollars and guns.

Talking Moose

“What do I care about the law? Ain’t I got the power?”

Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794- 1877)