Diepenbeek to demolish old football canteen due to high climate neutrality costs

Diepenbeek is set to demolish its old football club canteen, a decision driven by the prohibitive costs associated with making the building climate-neutral by 2050. The structure has been vacant since the local football clubs merged, and inquiries revealed no other organizations were interested in using it, partly due to its inaccessible upper floor.

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The costs to make it climate-neutral by 2050 would be too high and offer little benefit.

"The costs to make it climate-neutral by 2050 would be too high and offer little benefit," explained Josette Nassen, the alderman for Infrastructure Works. The Flemish government mandates that all public buildings must be climate-neutral by 2050. Diepenbeek's municipal council has been evaluating its 42 properties to determine the best approach for achieving this goal.

This demolition follows the earlier removal of another disused football facility in Heidestraat. In contrast, the municipality is fast-tracking renovations for its primary school, having secured a subsidy that will expedite the process, which was initially expected to take 8 to 10 years to get approved for funding. "We have submitted a subsidy application for the municipal primary school, with the idea that it would take 8 to 10 years to get it on the waiting list for subsidies. And we have now received the notification that these projects can be submitted, and we have gone ahead with that. So, this is a project that is being brought forward," Nassen added.

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We have submitted a subsidy application for the municipal primary school, with the idea that it would take 8 to 10 years to get it on the waiting list for subsidies. And we have now received the notification that these projects can be submitted, and we have gone ahead with that. So, this is a project that is being brought forward.

For other municipal buildings, Diepenbeek is still considering options such as demolition or granting long-term leases. For structures slated for retention, the focus will be on upgrades like installing heat pumps and improving roof insulation. "Some buildings we want to continue using for the time being, but we will not invest in them in the long term. We will also take into account the associations that use the buildings," Nassen stated.

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Some buildings we want to continue using for the time being, but we will not invest in them in the long term. We will also take into account the associations that use the buildings.