Coalition Agreement 2022–2026

Program 1 - Living, Working, and Leisure

The municipality creates the conditions that allow our residents, our businesses, and our visitors to live, work, and enjoy their leisure time comfortably. In doing so, the focus is primarily on quality, without losing sight of quantity.
The municipality ensures that the various functions and land uses are selected in such a way that areas do not interfere with one another but may even reinforce each other.
The municipality takes a careful approach to all forms of organized leisure activities. We want to ensure as much variety as possible, so that residents have options to choose from.

Housing

Position 

The municipality must ensure that there is an appropriate and sufficiently diverse range of housing options for all groups (striking the right balance) and that these are distributed across the communities in proportion to their capacity.

Vision

Our goal is to maintain and improve the quality of life in the villages through appropriate growth.

Mission

  • Promote housing construction and develop a housing plan based on the 2022 Housing Vision.
  • Allocating resources to create affordable housing for first-time homebuyers. In doing so, utilizing opportunities to prioritize the allocation of housing to those with social and economic needs.
  • In light of the aging population, sufficient housing for seniors will need to be provided. In this context, we are also exploring the repurposing of existing buildings. We are open to initiatives for communal living arrangements.
    Particular attention is being given to: the new construction plan on Industrieweg in Dreumel; the repurposing of the SF Beton site in Appeltern; Henricus in Wamel; and Hey-Acker in Beneden-Leeuwen. Investigating possibilities regarding the utility and necessity of potentially repurposing recreational homes within the new “recreation and tourism” vision currently under development.
  • In collaboration with the local authorities, we are ensuring there is sufficient housing available for people who need protection in the housing market. To be able to respond quickly, we are working with the local authorities to provide temporary housing.
  • We are developing housing in every town center. Our approach is primarily aimed at maintaining quality of life. As part of the environmental vision for town centers, we will identify potential sites in each town center. Particular attention will be paid to ensuring adequate access and safer connections between new residential areas and town centers. In Boven-Leeuwen , we Boven-Leeuwen explore whether relocating the sports fields is an option for meeting the demand for housing.

Work

Position

Provide suitable (innovative) businesses with space on available industrial sites.

Vision

Provide existing businesses with opportunities for expansion. If necessary, assist with potential relocations, thereby promoting job creation.

Mission

  • Spread across the villages, we offer space for business expansion; this will require the expansion of our industrial parks through the identification of potential new sites. We will also take into account the needs of shop owners and self-employed individuals with home offices or workshops.
  • Give agricultural businesses room for innovation and diversification, such as reducing fossil fuel emissions. Existing agricultural businesses retain their rights; there is no room for new intensive livestock farming. The open farmland area is the area primarily designated for our farmers. New (non-agricultural) developments must not block or restrict agricultural operations. Farmers who are retiring should be encouraged to demolish their barns to prevent deterioration and deterioration of the land.
  • Viewing business associations as valuable partners in discussions aimed at identifying local initiatives that reinforce one another.

Accessibility

Position

Our municipality is easily accessible.

Vision

Maintaining good access routes from our municipality.

Mission

  • Maintaining the Maas ferries and the foot ferry to Tiel is essential for the mobility of our residents and visitors.
  • Examine ways to improve access to the Maaskant.
  • Ongoing focus on improving access via St. Andries.
  • Route through-traffic via national and state highways. Village roads should be used as much as possible for local traffic.

Recreation

Position

Promoting recreation and tourism.

Vision

Where possible, expanding recreational areas and tourism.

Mission

  • Our municipality is attractive to tourists. We aim to expand our facilities for inclement weather so that the municipality continues to attract tourists even outside the summer season.
  • We strive to offer as wide and varied a range of “sports and recreation” activities as possible. These are provided by clubs as well as private businesses. We place a special priority on preserving the De Zeven Morgen swimming pool.
  • Exploring options for establishing an archaeological workshop for “Over de Maas”.

Program 2 - Social Affairs

The local community is much more than the sum of its residents. The connections between people add value to the community. People who know one another help each other, enrich each other’s lives, and bring vibrancy, relaxation, and joy. The municipality cherishes the idea of a vibrant community.

The municipality therefore takes a careful approach to all forms of organized leisure activities—an active community life where people can play sports, relax, engage in physical activity, help others, and learn together. There must be variety so that people have options to choose from. The municipality plays a facilitating role in this regard.|

Not everyone is always able to connect with or remain part of the community. The municipality wants as many people as possible to be able to stay connected and offers a helping hand in the form of funding for youth services, income support under the Participation Act and the municipality’s own poverty relief program, as well as integration into our community.

The municipality aims to keep community facilities as close to the neighborhood as possible, allowing for smart combinations of schools, sports and recreation facilities, medical clinics, event spaces, theaters, café-restaurants, and outdoor sports facilities.

Lifestyle

Position

Promote a healthy lifestyle.

Vision

Encouraging participation in social and sports activities.

Mission

  • Membership fee assistance for those for whom the financial cost may be a deal-breaker.
  • Promoting sports as part of a healthy lifestyle, with the goal of making sports accessible to everyone and supporting sports clubs.
  • Promoting healthy eating and physical activity, including in schools and institutions.
  • Promoting sports and cultural activities, events, and community life while ensuring equal support for all.

Revision of the minimum income scheme

Position

Everyone is a part of society.

Vision

Support from the municipality, where necessary.

Mission

  • Determine how our current minimum income policy is being implemented and investigate whether particularly dire situations require additional attention. If this investigation warrants it, adjustments will be made to the minimum income policy.
  • A focus on encouraging all children to learn to swim.

Silver Power Policy

Position

Promoting attention to seniors and those in need of assistance (Silver Power Policy).

Vision

Giving seniors and those in need the attention they require.

Mission

  • Becoming a dementia-friendly community.
  • Promoting suitable housing options for seniors who require assistance and care. Promoting the installation of more public restrooms.
  • Implement a comprehensive approach to low literacy and basic skills. Continue the Digi-Taalhuis program.
  • Better communication through accessible information, simpler language, and an improved municipal website.
  • Make clear agreements with Vraagwijzer stick to them.
  • Continue to provide support to all informal caregivers through the current network of informal care support centers.

Youth

Position

Pursue an active policy on youth development.

Vision

Getting children and young people more involved in society.

Mission

  • Develop a comprehensive youth policy focused on prevention, raising awareness about substance use, and promoting physical activity and social integration. This includes specifically preventing substance use and undesirable activities.
  • Implement the Comprehensive Housing Plan (IHP). And, as part of the IHP, Beneden-Leeuwen the necessary expansion of the IKC in Beneden-Leeuwen .
  • Creating dedicated meeting spaces for young people, such as Wi-Fi hotspots. Working with young people, parents, schools, and youth workers to find a sustainable solution to these needs and then implementing it in a way that minimizes potential disturbances as much as possible.
  • Promoting engagement between young people and politics.
  • Raising awareness among young people about the importance of sustainability.

Quality of life

Position

Continuously improving the quality of life in our municipality.

Vision

To make every village as livable as possible.

Mission

  • Publication of all regulations and policies regarding support measures.
    In short: a transparent subsidy and guarantee policy.
  • Community centers and multifunctional activity centers are important for the quality of life in our villages. That is why we want to establish guidelines that lay the foundation and set the vision for financially sound community centers and multifunctional activity centers. 
  • Promoting the development of village platforms.
  • Studies using an integrated approach to boost the quality of life in Altforst.
  • Investigate the possibility of relocating Scouting Dreumel its current location to the site of the former pony club on Margrietstraat.
  • “Village caretakers” who identify issues in the village—such as littering near underground waste containers and damage to sidewalks and green spaces—and perform additional community-based tasks. This can be combined with coordinating waste collection teams in which Avri plays an active role.
  • Primarily assist with formalities (permits/notifications) related to the implementation of activities and provide support where possible.
  • Evaluate the current 2030 Quality of Life Vision for Municipal Centers and begin the process of developing a 2050 Quality of Life Vision.

Program 3 – Physical Environment

We want to preserve the rural character of our living environment by increasing biodiversity in open spaces—through flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees. In addition, we’re taking a comprehensive approach to get the job done right the first time.

Roads and Traffic

Position

Safe roads and traffic conditions

Vision

Improving traffic safety for all road users.

Mission

  • Map road quality and sidewalk policies in Map , including road classifications, corresponding maintenance schedules, and the current status. In doing so, aim to maximize synergies between projects.
  • Make it easy to report road condition issues and immediately prioritize them transparently. Additionally, coordinate or monitor road or safety issues in collaboration with the road authority, the water board, and/or the provincial government.
  • We will investigate whether there should be a greater focus on the quality and safety of our roads and dikes (dikes in consultation with the Water Board). When roads are due for maintenance, we will not only focus on safety, lighting, and parking, but will also ensure that the design is climate-adaptive.
  • Zandstraat and the surrounding area in Beneden-Leeuwen the commercial heart of our largest town center. We will be renovating this area in collaboration with stakeholders. This will result in an attractive, safe, and climate-adaptive village center.
    Dorpsstraat in Wamel also Wamel some of its former glory. Here, too, we will work with local residents and residents to create a new layout.
    In addition, there are many streets for which the village quality plans call for a different look. Depending on their state of maintenance, we will tackle these one by one. Rooijsestraat in Dreumel also on the agenda for the coming years.
    We are calling for extra attention to traffic safety and adequate lighting for cyclists on, among others, Dijkgraaf de Leeuwweg and Trambaan in Boven-Leeuwen.
  • Updating the sustainability policy to ensure the provision of public charging stations for electric cars.
  • Greater focus on traffic safety near schools. This includes Molenstraat in Boven-Leeuwen.
  • In collaboration with various stakeholders, test shared mobility at strategic locations where increasing mobility is a viable option. The municipality plays a facilitating and supportive role.
  • The development of clear policies in 2022 to address the outstanding issues from the Rural Areas Environmental Vision.
  • Beautifying the village entrances, possibly in collaboration with the village committees.

Public green spaces and nature

Position

We will continue to focus on making our municipality climate-resilient. We want to prioritize quality and biodiversity.

Vision

There is room for all our residents to spend time in public spaces. But nature is also given the opportunity to thrive.

Mission

  • Creating more beautiful, vibrant, and diverse green spaces in a climate-adaptive way for people and animals.
  • Aim for plenty of greenery, as it helps keep things cool on hot days. Greenery also has a calming effect on the mind.
  • Study on climate-adaptive modifications to public spaces in our municipality.
    Particular attention is given to the village square at Ekershof Dreumel.
  • We ensure a healthy water balance. We do our best to prevent flooding. We also pay attention to the effects of prolonged drought.
  • Our floodplains are our backyards. We remain in dialogue with the owners of these areas to ensure that they remain accessible to everyone in a responsible manner.
  • Prevent, to the greatest extent possible, sludge and contaminated soil from outside the municipality from entering our own municipality.
  • Coordinating litter cleanup teams, cleanup days, and beach combing to reduce litter and waste.

Sustainability and Energy

Position

Striving to improve climate sustainability within the legal framework.

Vision

Striving to improve sustainability.

Mission

  • Develop and implement a strategy to help low-income residents insulate their homes and make them more sustainable, taking into account the condition of the property.
  • An energy transition based on solidarity, in which we aim to promote solar panels on rooftops and discourage wind turbines; no wind energy for the time being, at least until 2030.
  • Taking responsibility for sustainable power generation and sustainability, while involving and informing all target groups. The goal is to establish sound frameworks for solar and wind energy. At the same time, we must remain open to other, new technologies—such as aquathermal energy—which could prove profitable in the future.
  • Encouraging the construction of new buildings suitable for solar panels.
  • Large-scale electricity generation generates funds that can be used to improve the quality of life in our villages. We will explore how we can ensure these funds are distributed fairly. One possible way to do this would be to establish a quality-of-life fund.
  • Holding neighborhood discussions about our future, particularly regarding the energy transition.
  • We are open to innovative ideas for small-scale electricity generation. We aim to facilitate initiatives by businesses to generate energy for their own use within established frameworks. This includes consideration by the Spatial Quality Committee.
  • Water safety is important to us. To this end, we work together with the water authority. Key issues here include water storage, land drying, and groundwater levels.

Program 4 - Citizens, Governance, and Security

We want the municipal organization to provide residents with accessible yet high-quality services. We want a "basic infrastructure" for participation (for citizens, council members, aldermen, and civil servants).

Safety

Position

Everyone can count on a municipality that ensures safety.

Vision

A safe community.

Mission

  • Greater visibility of community police officers to ensure a manageable patrol area.
  • Continue to ensure a comprehensive AED network and continue to train first responders.
  • The municipality supports the VRGZ in expanding or filling vacant positions through recruitment campaigns aimed at attracting more volunteer firefighters.

Citizen Participation

Position

Give full attention to citizen participation.

Vision

Citizens need to become more involved in municipal affairs and issues that are affecting their local community or are likely to change it.

Mission

  • Implement policies that establish the basic infrastructure for participation.
  • We’re reaching out to our residents; we’ll be conducting mobile visits to neighborhoods and communities.
  • Focus on closer cooperation with business associations.

Program 5 – Operations

Our municipality is an information-driven organization, where accessible and reliable information ensures better, faster, and/or more comprehensive services. A clear and understandable budget and annual report, suitable for use by the council in its oversight role but also for accountability to our residents.

Municipal services

Position

The municipality is there for its residents.

Vision

Improving municipal services.

Mission

  • A more service-oriented municipality, achieved in part by better assisting our residents with their problems and communicating clearly.
  • Communication to all citizens in plain language, including the website and KCC.
  • Publish the maintenance plan for roads and green spaces.
  • Evaluation of the Municipality of West Maas en Waal as a governing municipality. This should clarify whether the municipality adequately fulfills this responsibility.
  • Encouraging data-driven work practices by creating a knowledge catalog. This will lead to a greater focus on working more efficiently.

Finance

Position

A financially responsible municipality.

Vision

A robust financial policy focused on service delivery.

Mission

  • A budget and annual report that align with the municipal council vision municipal council using the Spring Memorandum as a policy outlook document to recalibrate political frameworks.
  • The Financial Management Department monitors and tracks the municipality’s revenues and expenditures. In doing so, it ensures that the council is fully informed and understands the implications of its decisions in advance.

municipal council

Position

municipal council the municipal council 's position.

Vision

A municipal council stands up for its residents to the fullest extent and effectively represents their interests.

Mission

  • Continue to focus on the separation of powers. The council sets the framework, and the mayor and aldermen implement it. The council oversees this process and holds the mayor and aldermen accountable when necessary. The council also provides guidance through the Long-Term Agenda.
  • Take an active role in the various joint initiatives in the Rivierenland and Gelderland-Zuid regions and, where possible, collaborate with neighboring municipalities.

The agreement

Agreed on the date: April 26, 2022

Mr. P. van Zwolgen
Chair of FD West Maas & Waal

Mr. W. Jagtenberg
Chairman CDA West Maas en Waal