Research lays the foundation for cost regulations for basement repairs in the Utrecht wharf area

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UTRECHT > The municipality of Utrecht has had research carried out to arrive at a definitive cost scheme for the repair of cellars in the wharf area. The final cost scheme must be in place by the end of 2024. The discussion about the cost arrangement has been going on since 2021. The municipal council then decided to approach the restoration and preservation of the wharves area differently, with the task for the municipality to develop two variants for regulating the repair costs for the cellars. To do that, more research was first needed. Yesterday, the first (partly preliminary) results of the studies were shared with cellar owners and the discussion about the final cost arrangement started.

“It is necessary to keep the cellars in the wharf area safe and to preserve this special heritage for future generations,” says councilor for wharf area Rachel Streefland. “In addition to the two variants that were already on the table (‘presumption of evidence’ and ‘technical expert opinion’), we are developing the subsidy scheme as a third variant. Together with cellar owners, we present the advantages and disadvantages of these three variants and the arguments for making a choice.”

This has been investigated:

Follow-up investigation of damage and causes of damage
The first inventory of damage to cellars and causes of damage in 2021 has been done inside the cellars. Over the past two years, the municipality has had the same three engineering firms conduct follow-up research into, among other things, twenty cellars that had been dug open for repair. Now for the first time the damage to the outside was clearly visible. The follow-up research seems to confirm the picture of the first inventory: damage to cellars in the shipyard area is almost always due to a combination of causes. The researchers see no reason yet to think that heavy traffic is the sole cause or main cause of all damage. Read more about this research.

Lessons from claims handling in Groningen and Limburg
The Utrecht approach to claims handling (with the temporary subsidy scheme) has been compared with claims handling by the government in Groningen and Limburg. The research agency recommends continuing with the subsidy scheme for the repair of cellars because it is aimed at looking ahead and repairing cellars in close cooperation with the cellar owners, and reduces the risk of legal proceedings. Basement owners can be further relieved if the municipality takes more control, according to the researcher. Read more about this research.

Research cooperation, care and neighborly duties
Interviews with cellar owners show that the municipality has made great progress in fulfilling its social duty of care and duty to neighbors. According to the researchers, cellar owners are generally positive about cooperation with and support from the municipality in cellar repair. Cellar owners provide advice for further improvements, such as simplifying the cellar repair process and more support from the municipality. These recommendations partly correspond with the lessons from Groningen and Limburg. Read more about this research.

Talking to cellar owners
The municipality and the cellar owners will continue to discuss the final cost arrangement in April and May. After consultation with the De Utrechtse Werfkelders association, an independent process supervisor was appointed. With a representation of cellar owners and under the guidance of the independent process supervisor, it is mapped out what cellar owners see as the most important advantages and disadvantages of the variants, what consideration the cellar owners make, what weighs heavily and less heavily and on the basis of which arguments the cellar owners come to a preference.

Need for easier recovery process
Streefland agrees with the recommendations about simplifying the repair process and relieving the burden on cellar owners: “Renovating a monumental cellar can be really complicated. We have often heard this from the cellar owners with whom we have repaired cellars. It is striking that two research agencies have come to the same conclusion, namely that many cellar owners who are currently involved in cellar repair are positive about the current approach and subsidy scheme, but do need a simpler and more manageable repair process, with more support from the municipality. We have already addressed a number of points of interest. For example, better structuring and describing the organization. And we organize the work on the site together with all cellar owners and managers in such a way that we work on walls, cellars, bridges, cables and pipes simultaneously as much as possible.”

The discussions with cellar owners culminate in advice from the cellar owners about the final cost arrangement to the council. This summer, the council will make a proposal for the final cost scheme and submit it to the municipal council, together with the advice of the cellar owners. The planning is aimed at the municipal council being able to make a decision in December 2024.

Read the advice letter.