Grote Bos Zoning Plan Finalized; Housing Construction Can Proceed
The development of 73 apartments on the former site of Strabrecht College on Grote Bos in Geldrop can proceed. The Council of State has ruled that the appeals against the “Grote Bos, Geldrop” zoning plan are without merit. As a result, the zoning plan has become final.
Local residents filed an appeal against the zoning plan. Among other things, they objected to the expected impact on their living environment, traffic and parking, privacy, and the size of the apartment building.
Carefully considered
The Council of State has ruled that the municipal council carefully weighed the various interests and remained within the scope of its policy discretion. Furthermore, according to the highest administrative court, the spatial justification is sufficient. The apartment building is acceptable from an urban planning perspective, and the chosen building height and size are sufficiently justified.
The objections regarding traffic and parking were also rejected. According to the ruling, the municipality has sufficiently demonstrated that the existing infrastructure can handle the additional traffic volume and that the planned parking solution will provide sufficient parking capacity.
Sufficient privacy
Furthermore, the Council of State finds that the impact on the privacy of nearby residents is not disproportionate. A factor in this determination is that there is sufficient distance between the homes and that the existing green space and row of trees provide screening. Finally, the Council sees no reason to conclude that the zoning plan was prepared carelessly. The statutory procedure was followed correctly, and the city council was entitled to base its spatial justification on the area vision.
“We understand that a development like this has an impact on the immediate surroundings and that local residents have expressed concerns. We have taken those concerns seriously into account throughout the process. The Council of State’s ruling confirms that the interests involved have been carefully weighed. At the same time, this is an important step toward adding new homes in a location that is suitable for that purpose. In doing so, we are contributing to the housing construction challenge and finally providing clarity for everyone involved in this project,” said Alderman Bijl.
With this ruling, the zoning plan is now final. The municipality can now proceed with the planning and implementation of the housing project, which will result in the construction of 73 new apartments.