And one more obligation!

It’s not easy to build housing quickly. This has many different causes. One major cause is the accumulation of requirements with which new building plans must comply. Criticism of this is growing from more and more quarters. It seems that many parties are prepared to do something about this in the coming years. The municipality of Eindhoven also recently cited the multitude of requirements as an important factor in the stagnation. A housing director has even been appointed to act as a ‘booster’. He will remove internal and external barriers to accelerate projects. An Acceleration Plan will soon be drawn up, aimed primarily at the municipality’s internal procedures. There will also be a platform for cooperation between the municipality, builders and developers where ‘all problems’ can be discussed.

That sounds good, I thought, when I read all that in the Eindhovens Dagblad. But I’m still holding off on putting out the flag, first things first, then … you know. And yes, less than a month later another newspaper report: from now on project developers must submit a consultation plan to the municipality in advance. And when the permit is granted, an assessment will be made as to whether that plan has been carried out properly. Hey, is that another new requirement? To be honest, it looks like it to me, although according to Eindhoven alderman Torunoglu it fits in with the new Environment Act, which has not yet entered into force.

In any case, it will be a formal addition to an already long list of tasks and studies (green plan, mobility plan, etc.) for project developers. And the licensing process will have yet another assessment criterion. Is that going to speed things up? I’m pretty sure not. Soon, local residents who do not want a certain development near their backyard will also be able to go to the city council to object to the implementation of the public participation plan. I am not denying anyone the right to participate. The tricky thing is that people who already live there have no interest in new construction in their neighborhood. They often use every means at their disposal to oppose a plan. It is then up to the government to weigh up whether the individual interests of local residents outweigh the interests of people who do not (yet) live there. Or against the general interest of a growing city and region. That friction will remain, with or without a public participation plan. But this new requirement will mean that cutting the painful knot will take longer.