The CDA in the city believes that the municipality of Groningen should create more places for caravan residents. “Thirty places is simply not enough.”
The waiting list for a caravan in Groningen has increased to nine to ten years. The municipality of Groningen is therefore currently looking for a new location for thirty caravans on the west side of the city. But that ambition is completely insufficient, according to the CDA in the municipal council.
“By the time those thirty places are available in a few years, the waiting list for a caravan will almost reach 100,” says CDA member Izaäk van Jaarsveld. He points out to the municipality that sometimes several generations now live in one caravan. They have priority for the new location and that means that the new place no time is full. “Thirty pitches is simply not enough.” Van Jaarsveld wants Groningen to increase its ambition and at least double it.
‘Do not raise false expectations’
But that is not possible, says housing councilor Rik van Niejenhuis (PvdA). He says it’s hard enough to find a spot for 30 trailers. “I don’t want to create false expectations,” he says. “We don’t just find sixty places. If the opportunity arises, we will not hesitate to do so. But I want to make sure that we do not express a very high ambition that we cannot achieve.”
The councilor indicates that the search for caravan sites must be compared to other housing ambitions. “Many people are looking for a house and we do our very best to do so. I wouldn’t be surprised if the ambition grows in a few years, but at the moment the answer is ‘no’.”
