Frequently Asked Questions

As a local authority, you are constantly looking ahead and trying to anticipate future developments – such as in housing, transport, agriculture, the energy transition and climate change. That is why, in February, the local authority proposed the environmental vision ‘Wildly Attractive Apeldoorn’ fixed. The council is looking ahead to 2040. This is a broad outline of the vision. We are developing this further on an area-by-area basis. This should clarify how the various developments can be accommodated within the area.

The process began with a kick-off meeting on 28 November 2022 for all residents. Anyone who wishes to do so can contribute ideas and get involved in a local working group: the ‘workshops’. These groups consist of residents and council officials who will work together to develop various options. Residents can keep up to date via the council’s website and newsletters. The Beemte Broekland neighbourhood and residents’ association is doing this via its own channels. Want to sign up for the newsletter? Send an email to beemtebroekland@apeldoorn.nl

In addition to local residents, organisations such as Liander (the network operator), the Province of Gelderland, Rijkswaterstaat and the Vallei en Veluwe Water Board are involved. If, during the process, it becomes apparent that we need or wish to involve other parties, this can be done. We are constantly assessing what the process requires to ensure sound decision-making. The Beemte Broekland Neighbourhood and Interest Association is actively and critically monitoring this process.

The environmental strategy was adopted alongside the motion ‘Together, let’s give Klarenbeek and Beemte Broekland the space they need’. The development of the environmental vision cannot therefore be viewed in isolation from this motion. The content of the motion (a broad area-based process) is the guiding principle, not the text on Beemte Broekland as set out in the environmental vision. It could even be the other way round: the area-based process could lead to an amendment to the environmental vision. The qualitative principles set out in the environmental vision are, of course, integral to this area-based process. The programmatic principles (for example, the number of homes, hectares of industrial estate, hectares of solar panels) will be defined during the area-based planning process. This allows for the freedom to engage in an open dialogue with the local community. By working together to flesh out the various options under consideration, we increase the likelihood of arriving at a jointly agreed preferred option.

That is the Municipal Executive. Civil servants and residents work together to draw up various options, which we then develop in more detail. We then set out the pros and cons of each. We hope to agree on a single preferred option. If we cannot do so, we will set out the pros and cons of the remaining options and draw up an administrative recommendation for the Executive Committee. The Municipal Executive will then decide on the final option(s), whilst consulting the municipal council.

The local authority has various cookery books drawn up, in collaboration with residents (and resident groups), amongst others. These provide background information on the area where you live or work. They include guidance and examples on how to deal with this in the context of new developments. At the same time, as part of this process, we are keeping an open mind regarding the possibilities for landscape design in response to the options that are to be developed.

• Property division: Whether you are permitted to subdivide your property depends on the applicable local development plan.
• Homes for informal carers: if you meet the conditions set out in the Appendix 2 under the Environmental Law Decree (Bor), you may build an informal care home without requiring a planning permission
• Pré informal care homes: The local authority is in the process of drawing up a policy on this
• Building additional homes: In rural areas, extensions may only be built if there is at least 500 m² (former) agricultural buildings are being demolished. Meeting this condition does not automatically mean that planning permission will be granted. This depends on a number of factors.

If you have any questions about this, please call 14055.

The whole of the Netherlands is facing grid congestion. This means that the electricity grid is very full. Consequently, there is currently no capacity for larger solar initiatives (such as those on large roofs or solar farms) that require a high-volume consumer connection. For small consumers (residential properties), however, capacity is often still available. Liander is currently working to gain an understanding of what is and isn’t possible in Beemte Broekland. For the various options, we will investigate what is required to make them feasible.

In Apeldoorn, we want to generate as much solar energy as possible, ideally on rooftops, above car parks or along roads. But how much solar energy can we actually generate on the roofs in the built environment? The possibilities for this have been investigated by a research agency and set out in the ‘Solar Energy Potential Study in the Built Environment’. We are then using the results of the Potential Study to draw up a realistic and action-oriented solar strategy. The strategy sets out the ultimate approach by which the municipality of Apeldoorn can actually realise its solar ambitions. It covers what has already been done in recent years, what is currently taking place and, above all, what still needs to be done in the coming years. We will submit the solar strategy to the municipal council for decision-making in the autumn.

The network operators are working hard to resolve grid congestion, but this will still take several years (2027–2029). They are expanding the existing grid and installing new networks. They are also looking for ways to free up capacity within the existing grid by examining whether large consumers can spread their usage more evenly, or by connecting renewable energy directly to a consumer. This creates extra capacity on the grid. Combined with energy storage, this can help to reduce the impact of solar peaks on the electricity grid. Options being considered include batteries and the storage of electricity in hydrogen.

Both of these forms of storage are still at the innovation stage. Storing electricity in hydrogen (for use in winter) is currently very inefficient. It is only cost-effective if implemented on a large scale. At present, storing electricity in hydrogen to prevent grid congestion in Apeldoorn is not yet an option.

The landowner decides what to do with their property. The area vision will set out the developments we wish to initiate in this area and the conditions these developments must meet. When a developer has a plan or idea, it is assessed against the policy frameworks. The area vision will serve as one such policy framework.

The programme plan is not binding on residents. It sets out the direction in which the council intends to take the energy transition, and the actions the council will subsequently carry out. The mayor and councillors must, however, be able to demonstrate that they have done their utmost to achieve certain targets. These targets are set out, for example, in the ‘Energy Neutral 2050 Ambition’, ‘Acceleration+’, ‘RES1.0’ and the ‘Environmental Vision’.

The municipality of Apeldoorn aims to be energy-neutral by 2050. This means that more energy must be generated sustainably. We are in discussion with residents of Beemte Broekland to determine how much solar energy can be generated in the area, as well as where this might be located and in what form. So nothing has been decided yet, and the 75 hectares of net solar fields mentioned does not apply at present. We are first awaiting the outcomes of the meetings with residents. Generating wind energy is not currently on the agenda, as it is not realistic to achieve this by 2030.

The municipal council has adopted a motion stating that the Beemte Broekland area vision must be drawn up in consultation with local residents (area consultation process). If we draw up plans for the future of the area together, there is a greater chance that a jointly agreed preferred option will emerge. The area-based process therefore takes precedence over the text on Beemte Broekland as set out in the environmental vision. It is therefore possible that the environmental vision will be amended as a result of the area-based process involving residents and the council. 

In four workshops, civil servants and residents will develop various options. 63 residents have signed up to take part. We will discuss and examine what these different options mean for the area. Ideally, we will arrive at one preferred option. If this is not the case, we will describe the remaining options, setting out their pros and cons. These options will be discussed with the local council. Ultimately, the council will decide on the adoption of the area vision. The local council has committed to a process carried out in collaboration with residents.

We do not expect the province to impose solar parks. We do, however, see that there is growing interest in the concept of ‘energy planning’ in the Netherlands. This involves drawing up a plan for the whole of the Netherlands with regard to renewable energy generation. If such a plan were to be introduced, the province might well have a role to play in it.

At the request of the residents of Beemte Broekland, we have listed below a number of websites where you can find useful schemes and grants.

• Schemes and grants relating to sport and culture (history)
• Support for local initiatives from the local authority

Exploratory drilling for geothermal energy does not involve the extraction of materials from the ground, as is the case with gas extraction, for example. This means you do not need to worry about the stability of the surrounding area or damage to your home.

An exploratory borehole is a borehole intended solely for the collection of data on the subsurface. This borehole is temporary and will not be used for the extraction of geothermal energy. The location of the exploratory borehole is chosen on geological grounds and has no spatial component. The fact that the Beemte-Broekland residents’ vision includes solar parks in areas where an exploratory borehole may be drilled does not therefore conflict with one another.

Before a geothermal project is implemented, it goes through a number of stages. In preparation for an exploratory borehole, seismic surveys are carried out to gain a better understanding of the subsurface. These surveys are conducted at various locations across the Netherlands. The search for a suitable location for the exploratory drilling is focused on the area between Apeldoorn, Vaassen, Deventer and Klarenbeek. The exploratory drilling will provide information on the composition of the various geological layers present. At a later stage, partly on the basis of the survey results, a decision may be taken to utilise geothermal energy. The exact locations of the production sites will be determined at that stage. These may be up to 15 km away from the exploratory well.

For further information on this process, please also refer to the EBN website, where this process is clearly explained. 

1. Could the exploratory boreholes cause damage to houses situated, for example, 200 metres away?
Exploratory drilling for geothermal energy does not involve the extraction of materials from the ground, as is the case with gas extraction, for example. This means you do not need to worry about the stability of the surrounding area or damage to your home.

2. How does this development relate to other plans in the area?
An exploratory borehole is a borehole intended solely for the collection of data on the subsurface. This borehole is temporary and is not used for the extraction of geothermal energy. The location of the exploratory borehole is chosen on geological grounds and has no spatial component. The fact that the Beemte-Broekland residents’ vision includes solar parks in areas where an exploratory borehole may be drilled does not therefore conflict with one another.

3. At what stage of the process are we currently at, exactly?
Before a geothermal project is implemented, it goes through a number of stages. In preparation for an exploratory borehole, seismic surveys are carried out to gain a better understanding of the subsurface. These surveys are conducted at various locations across the Netherlands. The search for a suitable location for the exploratory drilling is focused on the area between Apeldoorn, Vaassen, Deventer and Klarenbeek. The exploratory drilling provides information about the composition of the various geological layers present. At a later stage, partly on the basis of the survey results, a decision may be taken to utilise geothermal energy. The exact locations of the production sites will be determined at that stage. These may be up to 15 km away from the exploratory drilling site.

For further information on this process, please also refer to the EBN website, where this process is clearly explained.