Referendum on protected greenery approved by the Amsterdam council | Amsterdam
To updateThe Amsterdam municipality has given the green light for a referendum on plans for protected greenery in the city. If initiators collect ten thousand signatures within ten weeks, Amsterdammers can go to the polls five to ten months later. Alderman Van Dantzig talks to the initiators about their concerns.
Concerned nature and residents’ organizations gathered last week more than eighteen thousand signaturesmutual investigation by the referendum committee had to show whether at least a thousand were valid and whether the subject was really suitable for a referendum. A positive advice followed on Tuesdayexcept on Wednesday the city council, from coalition to opposition parties, unanimously agreed.
The subject of the referendum is the updated plan on protected greenery in the city, which will be laid down in a specific main green structure. The amount of protected greenery in the city (protected against housing or paving) is expanded in the new plans. Critics argue, among other things, that there are many grounds for exemption that put green under pressure.
Responsible alderman Reinier van Dantzig (Spatial Planning) showed his humility in the city council, although he remained behind his plans. “I think these plans are an improvement. But it clearly failed to convey this.”
He said he supports Amsterdammers using their democratic right to start a referendum, but also said in talks to meet the referendum initiators about their concerns.
This was in line with the call of group leader Juliet Broersen (Volt) earlier on Wednesday. They also supported the referendum, but pointed out that the referendum rules also provide scope for reaching a compromise with the initiators. They hope that the council and the college will get to work on this soon.
Sylvia Fennis, one of the initiators of the referendum, says she is pleased with the council’s approval and will now quickly get to work collecting ten thousand signatures in ten weeks. The 18,000 signatures won are not counted again.
Clarity about advisory committee
Meanwhile, until the amended referendum, the decision has been suspended and the current green policy remains in force. On Thursday, there is still some suspicion in the municipality about the planning, despite the request of VVD and Bij1 to postpone this until after the referendum. The new version forms the basis for the referendum.
After a short push from the opposition led by the name Party for the Animals, a majority of the parties agreeing on the role of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) that will ultimately decide on any (construction) initiatives in protected green areas will be described by a majority of parties. . In addition, it must be prevented that green interests are too easily snowed under in other connections.
This must be done by explicitly stating that this advisory committee can give a negative advice and that the Board cannot deviate from it without the intervention of the council. In addition, the coalition parties proposed via a proposal from GroenLinks to trust the new working method with resident and nature organizations within a year.
A proposal by VVD and CDA to scrap the possible placement of wind turbines in the search areas previously designated by the municipality does not receive a majority.
The broken referendum is consultative and non-binding, and will consist of a yes/no question. The Council is then to determine how the results will be achieved in political policy.
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