WERKHOVEN – Dozens of trees were cut down at Beverweert Castle this week. Local residents witnessed the event and are concerned about it. During a walk along the estate near Werkhoven, all those felled trees are clearly visible. In addition, a historic fence was removed a few months ago. The owner says it is being restored, but as of now, the fence has not yet been reinstalled.
Report for RTV Utrecht by Ulrike Nagel.
The municipality of Bunnik confirms that no permit was issued for the tree felling and has ordered the estate’s owner to halt the work. In a statement, a spokesperson said: “On Wednesday, January 5, the municipality of Bunnik halted all work on the Beverweert estate. The reason was the removal of the fence surrounding the estate and the felling of trees. The estate owner does not have a permit to cut down trees on the estate and has not yet applied for one. His permit application for the restoration of the fencing is still pending.”
The municipality has also closed off the road: “The inspector observed that trees were being cut down and that this could lead to a dangerous situation. The remaining trees could be blown over by the wind, posing a risk of them falling onto the public road. As a precaution, the municipality has closed the public road and the walking trails around the estate to prevent accidents caused by falling trees.”
On Friday afternoon, it became clear that the estate’s owner was not complying with these orders—the branches of the felled trees were being put through a wood chipper and hauled away by truck. Additionally, hikers and cars were able to drive along the road past the Beverweert estate as usual.
Neighbors suspect that the owner wants to build apartments on the property. In a response, the municipality says it knows nothing about this; however, the zoning plan does state that there is a possibility of constructing assisted-living apartments on the estate, but no permit has yet been requested from the municipality for this either. The owner could not be reached for comment at this time.
