Municipality of Utrecht is looking at the ‘agent of change’ principle; but new residents should also always be able to complain

The municipality of Utrecht will look at what lessons can be learned from the Agent of Change principle, where: entertainment venues that have been there for a long time are protected against new construction and new local residents. But, according to the Municipal Executive, new local residents should also always be able to complain about street or noise nuisance.

The Agent of Change principle is used in different ways in different cities around the world. The idea is that functions that have been in place for a longer period of time – such as night catering – will receive more protection against complaints from, for example, new local residents, while they could have known that there may be some nuisance in that area. These types of complaints can have far-reaching consequences for entrepreneurs and therefore visitors.

In Amsterdam, the municipality is investigating whether it is possible for developers, permit issuers and planners to take this principle into account. In Toronto, for example, developers are required to include neighborhood entertainment activities in residential sales and rental offers. As a result, potential new residents may choose to live somewhere else.

The political parties D66, Student & Starter, VVD and UtrechtNu! wanted to know how the municipality of Utrecht views it against the Agent of Change principle, and whether it could perhaps also be applied in our city.

Utrecht

The Municipal Executive has announced that it is following the research in Amsterdam to see what lessons can be learned from it. “We also look at any negative effects of this approach.” However, the council believes that new local residents should also be able to complain, even if they knew in advance that they have moved next to a place that could potentially cause nuisance.

Complaints and reports are ‘important signals’, according to the municipality. In response to questions from the political parties, the council said: “We cannot and do not want to deprive residents of the opportunity to report to the municipality. It is irrelevant whether complaints come from people who already lived there or from new residents.”

The council also says that enforcement actions are never taken solely on the basis of complaints. “Enforcement can follow if an entrepreneur does not comply with the legal requirements, which may be the reason for the complaint or report.”

The council does emphasize that night culture deserves a place in the city, and that facilities “often entail a certain degree of crowds or nuisance, whether it concerns a school, a shop or a catering establishment. This requires everyone to realize that we live in a lively city, where there are quieter and busier places in the city.”