Dronten Residents Face Long Walks, Higher Fees in Waste Collection Dispute
DRONTEN, Netherlands – Residents of the Ketelhaven estate in Dronten are clashing with the municipality over a new waste collection system that requires some to walk over 500 meters to dispose of their trash, and has tripled waste collection costs for some households. The dispute culminated in a recent session at the council of State, where residents’ objections were ultimately dismissed.The core of the issue stems from the municipality’s inability to place waste containers closer to residents’ homes. according to the Council of State ruling, the Buitenplaats Ketelhaven Foundation, which owns the land, denied the municipality permission to position the containers nearer to the houses. Dronten then placed the four containers at the entrance of the park, on the first section of public land.
“It always went well,” said Edith Vis, Chairman of Stichting Buitenplaats Ketelhaven, at the Council of State session. “Now the waste containers are only at the start of the park. For some residents, that means that they have to walk more than 500 meters with their waste.”
Residents also raised concerns about the physical difficulty of using the new containers,which are high and feature a heavy valve. Vis argued that this makes it “almost unachievable” for older residents using walkers or mobility scooters to dispose of their waste.
Beyond the inconvenience, residents are facing significantly higher municipal waste taxes – up to three times the cost of the previous scheme. They also expressed safety concerns, stating the containers obstruct visibility when leaving the park.the Council of State acknowledged the limited sightlines caused by the containers but steadfast they were still sufficient to see oncoming traffic. The court upheld the municipality’s right to place the containers where they did,given the Foundation’s refusal to allow closer placement.The Council of State did not rule on the increased costs, advising residents to object to the municipality if they deem them unreasonable.