On 23 October 2024, we organised an information meeting on the relocation of the VNOG fire station to Matenpoort and further investigation into the preferred route for the fire service. This report provides a brief summary of the evening.
Report on the Information Meeting on the Relocation of the Fire Service
Purpose of the evening
The aim of the evening was to inform local residents about the preferred route that emerged from this study. The Mayor and Aldermen have taken a decision in principle. They favour the route heading south-west, via a bridge over the canal at the location of the current cycle bridge. The route would then run via Kanaal Zuid and Savornin Lohmanstraat towards Kayersdijk. During the residents’ evening, those present had the opportunity to comment on this, ask questions and find out more about the next steps.
Attendees
Residents and business owners from (parts of) the Kanaal Zuid, Kayersdijk, De Savornin Lohmanstraat, Matendreef and Matenpoort areas, as well as residents outside this area who have previously indicated that they wish to be kept informed, are invited to attend this evening’s event. Members of the municipal council have also received the invitation.
Reception and opening
After the open house, Councillor Nick Derks gave a welcome address and an introduction. The councillor provided a brief overview of the process so far, the actions taken following the previous information evening on 27 February, and the discussion in the PMA.
Progress of the process since the last residents’ evening on 27 February
The alternative route via the eastern side of the canal and the Mezenweg has been included in the supplementary study. Discussions were held with a number of residents regarding the chosen location and preferred route. Furthermore, discussions took place with the cyclists’ association and a survey was conducted to identify additional research criteria.
The councillors visited the site at Matenpoort, received information from the fire service about safety and their experience, and got a first-hand experience of how the fire service patrols the neighbourhoods by riding along in a fire engine themselves.
Further planning
The schedule is as follows. The discussion on the preferred option will be held again in November during the PMA. This will be followed by a recommendation from the municipal council. Based on this recommendation and the feedback from residents and business owners, the Municipal Executive will take a final decision on the preferred route at the end of this year.
Presentation
This was followed by a presentation by Ruud Gasthuis (mobility adviser). The presentation provided a detailed overview of the report, explaining how the preferred route had been selected and the reasons for ruling out the other routes. After the presentation, all questions were answered during a plenary Q&A session. Finally, there was an opportunity to engage in discussion with the local council, Movares and the fire service at tables displaying overview maps of the area.
Questions
There were well over 100 people in attendance. They made good use of the opportunities to ask questions and give feedback, both in plenary sessions and individually. Forms were placed on all the tables so that visitors could submit written questions. However, no one made use of them.