Situation regarding former purification plant in Hoogkerk - update January 17

Update January 17 - submission of petition

On Wednesday afternoon, January 15, the group of squatters—known as Waterskaap—called on the water board to accept a petition entitled "Stop the demolition." The executive committee invited them to do so on Friday morning, January 17, at the Water Board House in Groningen. On Thursday evening, the group announced that they would be unable to keep this appointment due to work commitments. 
The executive committee, through portfolio holder Herman Beerda (Purified Water and Permits and Enforcement) and dike reeve Roeland van der Schaaf, has announced that the water board remains willing to accept the petition at a later, appropriate time. We will remain in contact with the group of squatters about this. In the meantime, the legal proceedings that have been initiated will continue.

Report dated January 15 

Why does this location need to be evacuated? 

The squatters use the building as living space and organize meetings and performances there. This situation is not only undesirable but also unsafe. The water board cannot and will not be responsible for unsafe situations for users and their visitors. The water board manages surface water and is responsible for purifying wastewater in its working area. The water board is accountable for that task. It is not accountable for maintaining an unofficial, self-proclaimed 'cultural breeding ground' in the city of Groningen. The tax money of our residents and businesses is intended for the major challenges in water management, not for stimulating the cultural climate in the city of Groningen.

The property has been squatted in since September 2023. The water board formally granted this group of squatters use of the property on January 18, 2024, through a so-called occupancy agreement. The water board may terminate this agreement three months after it was concluded and if there is a case of "urgent personal use." The parties have specifically agreed that 'urgent own use' includes demolition and/or repurposing of the property. The planned demolition has now been prepared. Therefore, the agreement has been terminated with a notice period of five calendar weeks. That period expired on January 15, 2025.

The timing of the planned eviction is bad, say the users. What does the water board think about this?

From the outset, we have made it clear that this situation cannot continue. The current group of users has been kept informed of every step in the process of preparing for demolition. Preparing for demolition takes time. The necessary investigations, including a nature assessment, have been carried out to rule out the presence of (among other things) protected bats. An asbestos inventory has been carried out for the former industrial building. In addition, a procedure has been followed to find a party that can carry out the demolition. These processes and associated procedures take months to complete. The water board would have preferred to proceed with demolition earlier. Nevertheless, the message to terminate the agreement in the foreseeable future does not come as a surprise to the users. This has been communicated to them in writing, by email, and in person. 

Can't the water board legalize the situation? Isn't there a great need for housing?

No, the water board does not want that. The building is not suitable for long-term occupancy and is not zoned for residential use (nor for events or as a rehearsal space, for that matter). As the owner, the water board does not want to be responsible for what happens in and around the building for longer than necessary. Again, that is not our role. We also note that the agreements we have made with each other about its use are not always being honored: there are often too many people, the place is being used as a café/meeting place, and performances are taking place. None of this is what we agreed upon. This is also leading to complaints from the neighborhood. That is an additional reason to want to end the situation now. We will therefore enforce the situation and proceed with demolition.

The demolition has been delayed for years. Why the rush now?

The urgency is rather relative. After all, the group of users has been able to use the building for quite some time. We made agreements together. As mentioned, we have observed that these agreements are not always honored by the group of users.
It is true that the building could have been demolished even before the squatters moved in. Recently, the water board has focused on new projects in surface water and wastewater management. The demolition of this location has indeed taken too long. Nevertheless, it must still be done and will happen.

What will happen to the site after demolition?

The site will be leveled to ground level and will remain undeveloped for the time being to allow everything to settle properly. The water board remains the owner of the plot and has no plans to sell it. In the future, this location may once again play a role in carrying out our statutory task of treating wastewater from households and businesses and, for example, storing equipment and materials.

What happens if the squatters do not vacate the premises on time?

The water board will then initiate summary proceedings to enforce eviction through the courts. As the case is then before the court, the water board will not comment further on the substance of the situation.