Kapelle-op-den-Bos (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A dusty construction site near the Marktplein is troubling the Thursday market in Kapelle-op-den-Bos. Hanne Lamberts raised concerns; Dirk Hermans promises weekly talks with the site manager.
As VRT News reported, people who visit the Thursday market in Kapelle-op-den-Bos, a municipality in the Flemish Brabant province, Belgium, are concerned about a large construction site near the Marktplein, where the market is held every week. The issue was raised during a recent council meeting by opposition member Hanne Lamberts.
She said that many residents and regular market visitors have shared complaints. They say the construction work is causing a lot of dust, and the wind is blowing that dust straight across the square to the market stalls. This raises problems with hygiene and food safety.
She stated that a lot of the food vendors at the market sell fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, meat, and baked goods. These foods are often left open on their stalls. The dust from the construction might be on the food and make it dirty.
What is being done about the dust at Kapelle-op-den-Bos market?
Hanne Lamberts pointed out that market vendors must follow strict hygiene rules. But the way things are now on the Marktplein, it is very hard, maybe even impossible, for the vendors to follow those rules. She mentioned that if people think their food is not clean, sellers could lose customers or even face fines. Because of this, people are asking the town leaders to take quick action.
Opposition member Hanne Lamberts has shared 2 simple ideas to solve the problems at the Thursday market in Kapelle-op-den-Bos caused by the nearby construction site. Her first idea is to stop the construction work during market hours. This could stop the dust from blowing onto the market while people are walking around and shopping.
Her second idea is to move the market to another spot for now, such as the Mechelseweg. She believes that either of these options could help protect the health of both the people who visit the market and the sellers who work there.
Dirk Hermans, alderman for Local Economy (proKA Vooruit), says the town is already working on the problem at the Thursday market in Kapelle-op-den-Bos. He explains that they meet every week with the construction site manager and always ask to keep Thursday mornings calm so the market can go on without trouble.
He mentioned that most of the time, this works, but sometimes things still go wrong. When that happens, the town contacts the site manager right away to fix it. Herman also says they have not received any official complaints from the market stallholders, which may mean that visitors notice the dust problem more than the sellers do. Still, the issue is getting more attention, and the town may take more steps to keep the market safe and pleasant while the construction continues.
