Groen Opwijk holds protest picnic against sports and youth complex, vows to continue

In Opwijk, the local Groen party has initiated a series of protest picnics to voice their opposition to the construction of a new sports and youth complex on the Vetweyde site. The party has declared its intention to maintain these weekly gatherings every Saturday.

The proposed project has been a subject of discussion in Opwijk for some time, but it is now moving forward. The municipality has secured €1.2 million in subsidies from the Flemish government, and the province of Flemish Brabant has granted conditional approval.

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It concerns a large sports hall that will be 3 times larger than the current one, in a marshy open space right next to one of Opwijk's four source forests.

However, Groen remains critical of the development. Groen chairman Lomme De Boeck expressed concerns, stating, "It concerns a large sports hall that will be 3 times larger than the current one, in a marshy open space right next to one of Opwijk's four source forests." The party fears the "mega-project" will severely disrupt the local water management system. A petition with 141 signatures from concerned citizens has already been collected.

The total estimated cost for the Vetweyde project is €14 million. Groen's continued protests highlight the ongoing debate and local resistance to the large-scale development.

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We fear that this mega-project will seriously disrupt the water management system. We already have a petition with 141 signatures from concerned citizens. The project is far too big.