Permanent residents of Buitenplaats De Hildenberg in Appelscha must leave within three years. The Ooststellingwerf municipal council supports the proposal to address permanent residence at the recreational park.
Just over a quarter of the 135 villas at De Hildenberg are permanently inhabited. According to councilor Jan van Weperen, forty residents of the municipality of Ooststellingwerf are registered at the recreational park, located near the golf course and the Drents-Friese Wold.
The municipality has not done anything about this for more than twenty years, but now wants to enforce it. Permanent residence would be bad for the tourist image of the park and the rentability of the other holiday homes. Owners who do rent out their homes also want the municipality to take action.
Three years ago, the municipality started the ‘vital holiday parks’ pilot. The aim of that research was to make De Hildenberg a future-proof holiday park again. The municipality wants to measure all parks in Ooststellingwerf against the same yardstick in the coming years.
Research by a homeowners’ association shows that 90 percent of them want the park to become hybrid. A combination of rental, permanent residence and private recreation. This homeowners’ association represents approximately one hundred homeowners.
According to chairman Nicolette Klijnhout, the municipality has been too busy tackling permanent housing, instead of making De Hildenberg future-proof. “There is a lot of uncertainty, but also a lot of misunderstanding. Houses have been lived here permanently for twenty years. The municipality never said anything about this. Given the situation on the housing market, it will also be difficult for them to find a new home.”
According to Klijnhout, many residents who use their homes recreationally are also reluctant to enforce it. “These owners will soon also be confronted with all kinds of enforcement.”
‘In good harmony’
The residents have been very active over the past three years. For example, homeowner Fred Stegman told the city council in January that De Hildenberg was not set up as a rental park in 2003. According to him, the project was intended to enable people over the age of fifty to buy a second home. “The park is all about recreation, golf and living next to each other in good harmony.”
Moreover, according to association chairman Klijnhout, the permanent residents actually contribute to the liveliness and safety on the site. “As a result, you see that the group of recreational owners in particular spends more time in the park. Even in winter.”
Not a hybrid
A policy of tolerance for permanent residents is not an option for the mayor and aldermen. The Hildenberg must become a fully-fledged holiday park again and permanent residence does not fit into that picture.
According to councilor Van Weperen, it was clear to the residents from the start that they were purchasing a holiday home in which they could not live all year round. “The fact that we as a municipality never enforced it does not mean that we tolerate it.”
The municipality gives the residents three years to find another home. “We have no intention of evicting people from their homes,” said the councilor. “But we do want to do justice to the fact that De Hildenberg is a holiday park for recreational purposes. We will do that with a human touch.”
Many questions
The proposal received support from a majority of the council. D66, ChristenUnie, VPO and councilor Simon ter Heide (LSO) do not like enforcement and voted against. They do not agree with the procedure followed and fear major legal and financial consequences for Ooststellingwerf. Residents have already announced that they will not leave without legal proceedings.
Tags: Permanent residents leave holiday park Hildenberg Appelscha years lot misunderstanding
