The 15 Key Points

What has been done?

• In mid-2018, Beneden-Leeuwen also got its own village platform. As a result, many residents in all eight villages are now actively involved. They connect, organize, and identify (volunteer) activities. The platforms also have their own village websites.
• With municipal financial compensation, most platforms have now created so-called Village Development Plans (DOP). These plans contain everything that residents consider important, such as maintaining and improving the quality of life in their village.
• We have doubled the budget for rewarding livability initiatives from €3,000 to €6,000. Residents and volunteers (organizations) can apply for a reward of €750 before February 1 and before September 1.
• The alderman for Quality of Life consults with the village platforms every six months about current and new issues. Our quality of life director is the contact person for this.

What has been done?

• We are investing extra in Appropriate Education through healthcare and education. We are also investing in cooperation with the organizations involved. We want children with disabilities or developmental delays to be able to attend their own school or a school close by.
• We support activities that improve the language skills of parents with low literacy levels.
• The completion of the Integrated Child Center (IKC) in Beneden-Leeuwen was on March 21, 2019. The following organizations will collaborate in this center:
  • Pax Junior with two practical classrooms.
  • De Leeuwenkuil and De Wijzer elementary schools.
  • A daycare center with toddler care and SPOM's after-school care.

What has been done?

• On February 15, the first stone was laid for the construction of a meeting and service point at the gym in Appeltern. This expansion will further enhance the multifunctional use of the facility.
• In May, the new Multifunctional Accommodation (MFA) 'Het Hanzehuys' will open in the Hanseatic city of Maasbommel.
• When we receive signals from associations that want to collaborate, we support and facilitate the actions that involve the municipality. "Not top-down, but bottom-up!"

What has been done?

We are taking the following measures based on our 2016 Housing Vision:

• We are making our residents more aware of the consequences of living at home for longer. We are doing this in collaboration with entrepreneurs and (healthcare) organizations. One of the ways we do this is through the 'Thuis met het Grootste Gemak' (Living at Home with the Greatest Ease) Housing Market, which we organize every two years.
• Residents can apply for a stay-put loan.
• Through a gradual adjustment of the zoning plan for the villages, multi-generational housing will become possible.

What has been done?

• Depending on the subject, we—as the coordinating municipality—work together with other organizations within and outside the municipality. This concerns housing, the environment, health, safety, income provision, and care. We have made agreements about this with, among others, municipalities in the Nijmegen and Rivierenland regions, local entrepreneurs, and village platforms. We welcome cooperation with and between other parties (where possible).

What has been done?

• Residents and businesses can come up with new (construction) ideas via the neighborhood table.
• Since September 2018, we have been awarding not six but twelve prizes of €750 each year. The prizes are for new ideas that maintain or improve quality of life or community spirit.

What has been done?

• Each of the eight village platforms has its own village website.
• On these websites, residents can find news about their village, local amenities, and an events calendar. The local calendar is also linked to the calendars of other villages.
  • www.slag-alphen.nl
  • www.altforst.info
  • www.mooi-appeltern.nl
  • www.blikopbeneden-leeuwen.nl
  • www.onsbep.nl, Upper Leeuwen
  • www.dorpsplatformdreumel.nl
  • www.hanzestadmaasbommel.info
  • www.samenwamel.nl

• We send a newsletter to subscribed entrepreneurs. This newsletter informs them about current developments in economic affairs and recreation and tourism.
• We publish a newsletter about the Liveability Vision 2030. In it, we report on the progress of the 15 priorities from this vision.

What has been done?

• Residents of Alphen can use the minibus that Dorpsplatform SLAG runs with volunteers.
• Shared cars can be found in Appeltern, Beneden-Leeuwen, and Maasbommel.
• Starting in January 2019, we will have 'AutoMobiel'. This is a project of Servicepunt Thuiswonen. Residents of West Maas en Waal can contact them with their transportation needs. Volunteers will then provide transportation for a fee.
• Residents with a Wmo transport indication can use Versis, the regional taxi service, as supplementary transport.
• Arriva's dial-a-bus service operates in the evenings and at weekends. The dial-a-bus runs from Beneden-Leeuwen to Dreumel, passing through Altforst, Appeltern, Maasbommel, and Alphen. There are two stops in Appeltern.

What has been done?

• Many homes in the town centers are now connected to fiber optics, as are a number of business parks (Veesteeg and Waterstraat).

• Work has begun in rural areas on the installation of fiber optic cables. The installation of this super-fast internet is free of charge. The municipality is collaborating with six other municipalities in Rivierenland on this project.

What has been done?

• Maasbommel is affiliated with the International Hanseatic League. The Maasbommel Hanseatic Village Platform is involved in discussions about how to further raise the village's profile and combine this with village branding.
• The Altforst Actief village platform has submitted a plan for village branding. Part of this plan involves placing three steel frogs along the three main access roads.
• The village platform 'Samen Wamel' is investigating whether its slogan can be placed under signboards. The platform is also looking into the possibility of placing an eye-catching sign at the village entrance via the Hollenhof.
• The village platforms Beneden-Leeuwen and Dreumel have registered as the fourth and fifth villages for village branding. They kicked off in November and January. We expect their first results at the end of 2019.

What has been done?

• In November 2018, the 'Mooi Appeltern walking and rambling route' was opened as part of the Living Landscape initiative. DorpsPlatform Appeltern (DPA) developed two routes (4.6 and 5.7 km) in collaboration with Uit®waarde and the municipality.
• DPA is continuing its 'Growfunding' campaign to beautify more village entrances in Appeltern, among other things. A standard tree brigade is also being set up in Appeltern.
• The DPA Youth Theme Group is implementing its plan for the 't Appelveldje meeting place. In addition to the elementary school, there will be a digital panna field, a tree house, and a jeu-de-boules court, among other things.
• The Samen Wamel village platform planted flower bulbs in De Grote Gemeente park. They did this together with pupils from De Laak primary school and clients from the RIBW.
• Seven of the eight village platforms have submitted their Village Development Plans (VDP) or are close to completing them. These plans focus not only on housing, but also on public spaces, traffic, activities, and facilities. We involve the VDPs in the preparation of municipal activities in the villages.
• In Wamel, Pastoor Kurstjensplein has been constructed opposite the Leisure Center.

What has been done?

• The first edition of 'Open Maas en Waal' in 2018 will be followed up on June 1, 2019. Many companies and organizations will open their doors to everyone, which are otherwise closed. Ondernemend Maas en Waal is also collaborating with Maas and Waal municipalities for this purpose.

What has been done?

• The sale of industrial sites at various locations in our municipality is still going very well.
• We provide a project manager for larger recreational initiatives. The first ten hours of this support are paid for by the municipality.

What has been done?

• In 2018, we implemented and planned energy-saving measures for municipal buildings. We are also installing solar panels on the roofs of the town hall, the municipal depot, and the swimming pool.
• We purchase electricity and gas sustainably. We have also set additional sustainability requirements for the procurement of cleaning services and student transportation.
• We are actively working to make street lighting more sustainable. That is why we have already replaced 400 lamps on lampposts with LED lighting, among other things.
• Residents can take advantage of loans for sustainability measures. We also offer them affordable energy advice from an energy consultant. Residents can contact the regional energy desk 'Het Nieuwe Wonen Rivierenland' for information and advice.
• We have made agreements with Woonstichting De Kernen about making its rental properties more sustainable.
• To encourage sustainability, sports clubs receive free energy monitoring. This gives them insight into the energy flows in their buildings. Since 2018, foundations and associations have been able to obtain loans for implementing sustainable measures.
• The Rivierenland Regional Environmental Service (ODR) is increasingly encouraging companies to save energy in its supervision activities.
• We are collaborating with Groenleven BV on the construction of two solar parks. At the N322/van Heemstraweg roundabout and the Noord-Zuid/van Heemstraweg roundabout.
• On February 13, we held a well-attended energy meeting on sustainability. Well-known meteorologist Reinier van den Berg was our special guest. Many initiatives and ideas from residents, businesses, associations, and organizations were identified during the meeting.

What has been done?

We are currently working hard to implement the action plan to raise the profile of the Hanseatic city of Maasbommel.

• On December 13, 2018, the city council was briefed on the archaeological hotspot "Expedition across the Meuse." The Gelderland Heritage Foundation investigated the possibilities for managing and exhibiting the at least 250,000 historical finds.
• In April 2019, the city council will give the mayor and aldermen a mandate regarding the possibility that it wants to see further developed.
• On January 24, 2019, the municipal council adopted the West Maas en Waal Village Quality Plan. This plan includes a "village passport" for each of the eight villages. It describes how we can work together to preserve or improve the quality of the environment and cultural history.