Many politicians in Utrechtse Heuvelrug say that all parties involved should communicate more with one another. “I see that a lot of parties are making all sorts of statements, but I wonder if they’re actually talking to each other,” says Judith van Roy of the VVD Utrechtse Heuvelrug. “As far as I’m concerned, someone needs to take the lead in bringing all the parties to the table. There’s a lot of confusion right now; no one knows what’s going on, and that leads to a lot of rumors. We need to start a conversation.”
Items and text by Ulrike Nagel.
The entrepreneur should be allowed to make some money
In the municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug, most parties are critical of the plans for Henschotermeer, but at the same time want to give the entrepreneur some leeway. Judith van Roy of the VVD Utrechtse Heuvelrug: “Of course, the entrepreneur is allowed to make a little money, too. We can’t assess the plans until they’re actually submitted. So once the application for a zoning plan is on the table, we’ll review whether it aligns with the agreements made in 2015. And if it doesn’t, then we won’t approve it.”
Until 2017, Henschotermeer was managed by the Utrechtse Heuvelrug Recreation Board and was therefore funded with public money. After that, the recreation board was dissolved, and management was transferred to the Van de Lagemaat family, who also run the adjacent De Heigraaf vacation park. Last year, the family presented ideas on how they intend to further develop recreational activities around Henschotermeer, including a petting zoo, an activity center, a climbing forest, and dining facilities. The plans also include apartments where tourists would be allowed to stay overnight.
Utrechtse Heuvelrug has little say
Karin Oyevaar of D66 has previously spoken out in defense of Henschotermeer. But it’s also difficult for the municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug, because there isn’t much they can do. “By dissolving the Recreation Board, the municipality also relinquished a large part of its authority. With the benefit of hindsight, one might wonder whether that was wise, and it’s certainly a lesson for the future. It remains unclear which parts of the plans the Utrechtse Heuvelrug municipal council can still help decide on. Nighttime recreation covers only the territory of the Municipality of Woudenberg. And it’s also possible that the decision on the plans will be made solely by the province.” Marina Roelofsen of the CDA agrees. “That’s why we need cooperation. As the municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug, we can’t solve this on our own. Our share of Henschotermeer is too small. Only a small part of it lies within our territory, so we don’t have much say in the matter.” Meanwhile, Maarn in particular is feeling the strain from the crowds around the lake and the vacation parks surrounding it. Marina Roelofsen, CDA: “Right now, the balance is a bit off; there’s a lot of unrest. People are annoyed by the crowds and the cars parked everywhere; there needs to be a balance with nature. They’d especially rather not have the cottages by the lake. Fortunately, more and more voices are now coming from Woudenberg saying they don’t want them there either.”
Making Money Versus Preserving Nature
Tom Zoutewelle of the ChristenUnie. “The municipality and province could no longer afford the maintenance costs. So the recreation board was dissolved in 2017. At that point, new rules were established that an operator would have to comply with. And those rules are still in effect. The operator must also be able to cover the costs, so we need to give them some leeway. But the balance between tourism and nature must not be compromised.” Judith van Roy of the VVD: “If you invest, you naturally want to recoup that investment, but whether the balance is quite right is the question. Nature is what attracts people here, so we consider its preservation to be extremely important.” The municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug could have handled some things differently, says Tom Zoutewelle of the ChristenUnie: “We should have made it clear earlier within the municipality that decision-making takes place here. At an earlier stage. Now it’s kind of up in the air, as if things have already been decided, and that’s not the case.”
Entrepreneurship plus subsidies?
Now that the recreation board has been dissolved, the entrepreneur must cover all costs. Isn’t there some kind of hybrid arrangement conceivable in which the province of Utrecht would contribute to the costs of Henschotermeer? Zoutewelle of the ChristenUnie: “We’ve now entered into a contract with an entrepreneur, and he deserves a fair chance. If he needs help, I can imagine something being done. But the starting point in 2015 was that the government would no longer be putting any money into it. That was the painful moment when we announced we were going to dissolve the recreation board. Can that be reversed? Well, that would be a political decision. The province would have to consider that together with the municipalities. But that’s difficult, as you can see now.”According to Zoutewelle, communication could be a bit more transparent, especially for voters. “Voters want a clear-cut situation, but now there are multiple parties involved—two municipalities and the province. I think that we, as politicians, have a responsibility to explain things. And we’re not doing that enough.”
