Minutes of the residents' evening meeting on November 29, 2023

Role of the Village Platform

A major sticking point in the mutual relations within the village is the concern and fear about the unclear role of the various parties involved in contributing ideas and drafting documents that are intended to shape a long-term vision for the village of Altforst. This concern focuses in particular on the possible conflict of interests in the choices made or positions taken in shaping the village passport.

The process of creating the village passport began in 2018. The Village Platform was involved in drawing up this village passport. And it was precisely because of this involvement and the impact of the village passport on whether or not housing projects would be realized that there was a suspicion that some members of the Village Platform had taken a position based on their own interests. In addition, some of the residents present feel that during such consultations and in the documents to be drawn up, decisions are made on their behalf and not with them.

Because this is a significant accusation against the members of the Village Platform, the Village Platform has clarified that its involvement was minimal. The village passport was drawn up by an external agency. The Village Platform organized a meeting to facilitate the process. In addition, the external agency drew up a vision at various times, based on information from this meeting and other forms of participation. This was emphatically not the vision of the Village Platform. Therefore, there can be no question of a conflict of interest. However, members of the Village Platform did provide feedback on the plans in a personal capacity during the aforementioned meeting.

However, the way things have gone with the Village Platform is the reason why the perception of a conflict of interest has been reinforced. This is compounded by the attitude of the municipality, which may have approached the Village Platform too much as the representative of the village of Altforst in the process surrounding the village passport. This is too narrow an approach, particularly when it comes to issues such as quality of life, housing, and the future development of facilities. As a result, other residents (who were present) who did not feel involved in the process also developed a sense th
, and that decisions were made about them rather than with them.

It became clear that evening that, surrounding this process in which suspicions of conflicts of interest had been raised, the village passport seemed to have an indirect effect on the planning of the housing development desired by many, and that the involvement of various parties was unclear, if not non-existent. This had caused rifts in the interpersonal relationships between villagers that could not be resolved in a single evening.

Role of the municipality

The Municipal Executive acknowledges that it has relied too heavily on the Village Platform as representative of the entire village, which has led to confusion and suspicion. The Municipal Executive has apologized for the confusion this has caused and emphasized that it was not its intention to place the Village Platform in a difficult position.

The village platform's efforts in organizing activities and publishing 'het Kwekkertje' were appreciated by the villagers. Residents indicate that the village platform does not keep them informed often enough about current issues.

The Village Platform and residents agree that the Village Platform should primarily take on a facilitating role and should not influence policy itself where interests may conflict. This ensures a clear division of roles and prevents any appearance of a conflict of interest.

In summary:

• The Village Platform had and continues to have a facilitating role in the Altforst community.
• By participating in discussions about the future of Altforst at the request of the municipality, an unintended impression has been created that the Village Platform is jointly responsible for the content of the visions.
• The municipality takes responsibility for the creation of these images and apologizes for them.
• Gaining support and encouraging community participation is the responsibility of the municipality.
• The Village Platform cannot and does not wish to take on this role and focuses on facilitating activities in the village.
• This working agreement should clarify roles in order to overcome any irritations that may have arisen.
• This requires everyone's commitment and, where necessary, a few personal conversations between the various residents of Altforst.
• The text on the municipality's website about the tasks and roles is being updated:
  Village platforms | West Maas en Waal

Village deal

There are questions surrounding the village deal. It is unclear why some parties were involved in drafting the village deal and others were not. According to residents, the JVA and the carnival association were not sufficiently involved, meaning that the community in Altforst was not adequately represented in the drafting of the village deal. The resulting uncertainty about possible financial contributions is discussed during the meeting. Officials indicate that agreements have been made at the official level and recorded in a report.

In summary:

• When drawing up a vision, it is important that all parties are given the opportunity to contribute to the drafting of vision documents.
• Even though no conscious decision was made to involve certain associations and not others, this has inadvertently created a feeling that some associations are not allowed to have a say.
• In the future, it is important to identify all stakeholders before starting to develop a vision. Even if other authorities are involved (such as the province), the municipality is responsible for determining whether all parties have a role to play at the table.

Housing construction in Altforst

Residents expressed their frustration about the slow pace of housing construction. Although 12 plots have been allocated, this is not enough. Young residents lack prospects. The Municipal Executive acknowledged the importance of speed in housing construction, but also emphasized the need for careful procedures. The municipality regrets the way in which residents were treated and addressed when they submitted a petition for more housing construction and the subsequent delays in the plans. This attitude has contributed to the feeling that a group of Altforst residents feel they are not being heard. And being heard and involved is particularly important when it comes to an important issue such as housing construction, which is often seen as key to investing in the livability and future of a village center.

It was noted that the presence of housing is crucial for maintaining facilities, including the school. The alderman indicated that the reverse is also true. More clarity about housing construction and participation from the municipality is expected in January. The alderman indicated that she is aware that she will have to gain trust and stated that the council is committed to facilitating space for at least 45 homes, although she cannot guarantee this at this time due to procedures that must be followed.

In summary:

• Building homes is equivalent to investing in the livability and vitality of Altforst.
• The various successive visions also note this, but no homes have been built yet.
• This is a major frustration for all residents of the village.
• The municipality is well aware of this and has indicated that, in addition to the existing projects for which permits have already been granted, it will also provide clarity in January 2024 about the follow-up locations where construction can take place.
• The first step in this process will be taken in January 2024 with the completion of the draft environmental vision, which will be made available for public inspection. This vision will clarify the direction in which Altforst could potentially be expanded. Specific construction locations are not yet being discussed. However, it has been mentioned that a follow-up meeting is planned with the Brokken company in the second half of January to discuss their plans for the east side of the village.
• It has also been announced that, even before the final approval of the environmental vision by the council (expected in May 2024), the college already wants to take action with and for Altforst to speed up the process.
• The municipality is taking the initiative to this end.