A possible demolition permit, a statute to improve communication or clear guidelines for demolition. These are a number of options that are mentioned by Eindhoven political parties about a possible demolition policy in the city.
The Eindhoven factions of SP, Party for the Animals, LPF and 50PLUS want more guidelines for the demolition of homes and that renovation should be considered more often. “In Eindhoven you can now demolish in the wild,” says Jannie Visscher of the SP. “People are unprotected, and that is why there needs to be a policy.”
Demolition permit
One possibility is a demolition permit that would only be granted if there are concrete plans for new housing. “What you often see now is that there is a lot of land lying fallow, and it takes years before new plans are made,” says Ruud van Acquoij.
The municipality is struggling with a huge construction task. The ambition to build 3,000 homes per year was not achieved last year. In fact, more social housing units were demolished than built. Although there are several construction plans to catch up, this does mean that people are still waiting for social housing. “If demolition does not start immediately before new plans are made, people can live in those buildings in the meantime,” says Acquoij.
Communication
What needs to be arranged in any case is better communication. That has gone wrong more often in recent times between Woonbedrijf and their tenants. One of the residents of Prinsejagt, where 42 homes are being demolished to build between 160 and 200 apartments, spoke during the meeting about what happened.
“Think of your own, lovely home,” argues Marleen Weissman, a resident of Prinsejagt who came to speak. “And now you hear, out of nowhere, that your home, for which you had all sorts of plans for the future and wanted to live happily ever after, is being run over by a bulldozer.”
VVD councillor Daniëlle Stijntjes does not think a demolition policy is necessary. Communication does need to improve. “But that is legally regulated nationally with the Consultation Act. As a municipality, we must ensure that it is better complied with.” But that does not require a demolition permit. “If renovation is possible, that is of course better, but the financial feasibility must also be considered.”
But when is it realistic to renovate, and when is demolition necessary? “It is not always known when demolition will take place or when a decision will be made to renovate,” says PvdA councillor Tjeerd Ritmeester. A clearer policy for this is necessary. But how this will be shaped is still a bit of a puzzle, says Ritmeester. “That is all quite technical. But what is certain is that there must be clearer agreements on how we deal with residents. Being evicted from your home causes a lot of stress.”
Fear and worries
The way things are going now in the municipality of Eindhoven is causing uncertainty and fear among tenants. “We believe that you can’t just tell people ‘Hey, your house is being demolished because we want to build houses for other people who also want to live there.’ You can’t just send your current residents out of their homes,” Visscher believes. “That would create fear in the city. Then everyone would think ‘Oh help, maybe this will happen to me tomorrow too.”
Mrs. Michielsen also speaks during the meeting. She lives in the Vaartbroek district, where discussions were held with local residents in the spring about the future of the district. “There is talk about plans in Vaartbroek, but it remains unclear what exactly will happen there,” says the resident. “Will there be demolition? Renovation? There is little communication and that causes unrest in the district.”
According to alderman Mieke Verhees of housing, residents of that district do not have to worry about anything for the time being. The discussions are exploratory and a policy framework is still being drawn up, which will first be presented to the council.
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
