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🇧🇪 Belgium /Energy & Infrastructure

Residents of new social housing estate in Machelen-aan-de-Leie have waited four years for a finished street

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Residents of a 22-home social housing estate in Machelen-aan-de-Leie have waited four years for the streets to be completed.
  • Work stalled over a sewerage dispute, and Dimensa says a camera inspection remains before the roads can be resurfaced.
  • A resident remains skeptical that the work will finish before winter, while the municipality says it is monitoring the situation.

Residents of a new social housing estate in Machelen-aan-de-Leie have spent four years waiting for a proper street. The estate in Zulte contains two roads serving about 22 social rental and purchase homes, but the promised finish has never arrived.

I think we had a road surface for about four months.

— JuthaA resident described how the finished-looking road was later stripped of its top layer.

When the first residents moved in, the road appeared complete. The surface was later scraped away, leaving the worksite frozen in place. “I think we had a road surface for about four months,” resident Jutha, 43, said. “Then they came and scraped the top layer off again.”

Since then, potholes and raised manhole covers have made daily life frustrating. Jutha said some neighbors had damaged their tires, while rain made the street so waterlogged that visitors should bring swimming fins. Dimensa director Hans Heyse acknowledged the complaints, saying the covers may not protrude very far but still cause inconvenience and make the street look unfinished.

Then they came and scraped the top layer off again.

— JuthaThe resident explained why the street has remained unfinished.

The issue has also reached the municipal council. Public Works alderwoman Sophie Delaere said the streets remain entirely under Dimensa’s responsibility and are not yet municipal property. “Sorry for the language, but we get all the shit thrown at us while we can’t do anything about it,” she said.

Sorry for the language, but we get all the shit thrown at us while we can’t do anything about it.

— Sophie DelaereZulte’s public works alderwoman said the municipality was blamed even though Dimensa still controlled the streets.

Dimensa attributes the delay to disagreements between the main contractor and a subcontractor. The company says the sewerage problems have now been resolved, with only a camera inspection still needed before the streets can be asphalted. Heyse said he had even threatened legal action against a contractor to speed up the work. Dimensa says it has been assured the road will be finished before winter, but Jutha expects the wait could last until at least spring.

The information I receive is that everything will be resolved before winter.

— Hans HeyseThe Dimensa director gave the company’s expected completion date.
About this summary

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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