This weekend locals received a brochure and letter on the front housing and transportation mat. The Geeland Employment Agency for Technical and Logistics is looking to keep 48 migrant workers in one area of ​​the site for the next fifteen years. It is against the sore foot of the locals. The tour of the locals will show that everyone opposes the arrival of temporary neighbors.

Earlier plans fell through

“We were confused because it was already clear many years ago that there was absolutely no support for projects like this,” Wilfried Peters writes to the municipality of Porcel on behalf of the locals. He mentions the municipality’s plan since 2016. At the time, Porcel wanted 150 to 300 working-class immigrants to stay in the area.

Due to the opposition, the municipality abandoned the project. But then Alderman Keys Weststreet added: “But if there is a need, a maximum of 48 working-class immigrants can come and live, but there are no definite plans yet.”

Those plans are there now. The employment agency writes in a letter to locals that there is a great need for suitable housing for labor migrants. “There are 2,350 migrant workers in Beowland alone,” the company writes. “This number is expected to increase by a thousand over the next ten years.” The employment agency says companies in the Slow area will have to deal with staff shortages due to housing shortages.

The houses were already planned

The site was purchased by the municipality of Porcel at the end of 2016 for 1.5 million euros, half of which was paid for by the province. Since then, the area has been partially transformed into a park with greenery, seats and playground equipment. This is to the great satisfaction of the residents of Heeranhoek.

Housing for migrant workers is planned in an area of ​​the site owned by SingleWest. He wants to build houses in this area in the future. But building projects on the AMAC site have stalled as there is still ample space for housing elsewhere in Heeranhoek.

Lack of support

The purpose is to house 48 migrant workers in twelve new temporary houses to be built. To achieve this, a temporary environmental permit is required because the zone plan has a business purpose for the area. Housing expects to submit a permit application before July.

Meanwhile, residents expect the municipality to be overweight due to a lack of support among the injured.