The State Council has put an end to plans to build housing on the Draka site, part of the future Hammerquartier area. The municipal council does not have a good overview of the risks near the nearby Ketjen chemical plant. A major setback for the municipality: two of the seven zoning plans for the Hammerquarrier area are now in the trash.
The Council of State, our country’s highest administrative court, concluded that the municipal council did not have a good overview of the safety risks related to building housing near a chemical plant. Kitgen plant works with nickel hydroxycarbonate. If this substance is released accidentally, deaths can occur. Not only did the municipal council not have sufficient insight into the risks, says the Council of State; It is also not sufficiently justified whether the risks are acceptable.
Repetition of movements
In March this year, the Council of State canceled another zoning plan in the Hammerquartier area for the same reasons. This neighbourhood, on the site of the now-departed Exclusiva factory, is closest to Ketjen. Ketjen’s parent company, Albemarle, is concerned that homes too close to its factory will soon hamper its operations.
The judge then ruled in favor of Albemarle: the municipality did not have a good overview of the risks of building housing next to Kitjen. The municipality also did not include the factory expansion plans, which were already known when the zoning plan was approved in 2022, in the decision-making process.
Wednesday’s statement about the Draka website is largely a reiteration of steps. The State Council also ruled in favor of the chemical plant on a number of other points. The zoning chart may contain some incorrect heights for future residential towers. The research report on noise standards around the factory and future residential area is also flawed. The municipal council should not have taken the decision based on the report, according to the State Council.
Hamerkwartier: modern residential towers on the IJ
Hamerkwartier is a future residential area that should rise between IJ, Meeuwenlaan, Motorkanaal and Johan van Hasseltweg. It should become a living and working area of about 6,500 homes. There used to be a lot of heavy industry in this area, but almost all of it has left. Ketjen, which is located right next to Hamerkwartier, is an exception: the factory is on its own land and he says he wants to stay.
This means that for the second time, a future Hammerquarter zoning plan is off the table. In total, the Hammerquarter district is divided into seven neighbourhoods, each with its own zoning plan. This concerns 1,700 houses on the Draka site, and 350 houses should be built on the Exclusiva site.
“This was in line with expectations.”
In response, Housing Board spokesman Reinier van Dantzig (D66) said he was “disappointed”. But: “This was in line with expectations.” The council expects homes to continue being built. “We just need to better define the risks faced by the council. The content of the plan does not need to be changed. We have full confidence that housing construction on this site can be done safely.”
‘clear statement’
Ketjen’s management made a clear statement in a press release, and it doesn’t seem like they expect to completely cancel the plans now. “Living next to a chemical plant is possible, provided you follow the guidelines for a good living environment. Kitjen has recently entered into discussions with the municipality and hopes to quickly reach a good solution with Alderman van Dantzig in the future.”
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