Wijchen-West will be a sustainable “ village ” district with nature and maybe one day a train station

WIJCHEN –
The municipality of Wijchen wishes to transform the new Wijchen-West district, near the Vormerse Hoeve estates, into a sustainable district with a village character, in which space is left for water and greenery. New construction will start in 2023 and is expected to deliver 650 new homes for beginners, seniors, families and small households.

Water and green

The council has developed a vision for the new neighborhood to be built, which needs to be further elaborated into concrete plans. If it depends on the college, there will be space in the new living area for water features and “park-like green areas” between neighborhoods. In doing so, as much space as possible for trees is conserved and as much of the existing surface water structure as possible is conserved. To achieve this, a low parking standard could be used and facilities for shared cars could be created, the commission believes. The intention is also to prevent the construction of the De Vormer farm, in order to preserve the rural and historical-cultural character.

Character of the village

The neighborhood will have a village character if it depends on Councilor Geert Gerrits (Kernachtig Wijchen). “Wijchen remains a village with the necessary facilities, a relatively large amount of space and greenery in the neighborhoods and a rich club life. We hope to see this village life climate also be reflected in the new housing estates. »More installations are not factored into the plans. “Wijchen has sufficient facilities within cycling distance. There are no plans for a new mall or a new school. There is, however, a chance that a school like Speelhoeve, whose real estate needs to be replaced, will find a new place in Wijchen-West.

Half affordable houses

At least half of the dwellings must belong to the “affordable” segment. There is also room for new forms of housing and sustainable heating for homes. Previously, it had been announced that a space would be made for a pump runway. There should be room for apartments along Lake Vormerse and in the central part south of the trail to live in a ‘tree room’. On the west side, the college sees room for noise-reduction houses.

Place for Wijchen-Ouest station

Although there is currently no question of ProRail for the construction of a Wijchen-Ouest station, sufficient flexibility will be included in the design of the new residential area for a future integration of a station including a public transport interchange. To do this, a strip along the north and south sides of the track must remain undeveloped. If this station is carried out in the future, the dog association and the housing estates will have to be moved. The municipal executive sees a space for this in the southern part of the plan area, where the De Vormer farm is also located and where construction should be less intensive. According to the Commission, the current stop for public transport by bus on Randweg Noord is close enough for residents of Wijchen-West.

Dion van Alem
RN7 political journalist