Brecht (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The province of Antwerp denied McDonald’s a permit in Brecht (2960) after resident protests. Mayor Frans Van Looveren supported the decision to protect open space and limit traffic.
As VRT News reported, the province of Antwerp has banned McDonald’s from building a new restaurant in Brecht, a municipality in the province of Antwerp. Belgium. This decision came after the local government and residents voiced their opposition. Mayor Frans Van Looveren was pleased with the province’s choice, supporting the local concerns.
The proposed McDonald’s location was near homes and across from an industrial area. The town and its people were worried about increased traffic, more litter, noise, and environmental issues. They felt a fast-food restaurant would disrupt the peace and change the character of the neighbourhood.
Will McDonald’s challenge Brecht’s permit rejection in Court?
The neighbours, working together, fought hard against the McDonald’s plan. They mentioned that they were worried about more than just a little bit of trouble; they were concerned about how the restaurant would change their neighbourhood with constant traffic. The mayor said the people are happy that the province said no. They feel their worries were heard, and they protected their homes.
“We want to preserve open space, and we promised that before the elections.”
Frans Van Looveren (now 2960), mayor of Brecht
Brecht is happy that McDonald’s can’t build a restaurant there. They want to keep the open space. The place McDonald’s wanted to build is close to a busy road. The mayor, Frans Van Looveren, said they promised not to allow new buildings in that area during the elections. They wanted to keep the edge of Brecht from getting too many stores and traffic. They also wanted to keep it rural. The mayor said this promise helped them say no to McDonald’s.
“I know that many of our residents are also fans. They are welcome to apply for a permit at a more suitable location on our territory,”
Concludes Van Looveren.
According to officials, McDonald’s can still ask the Council for Permit Disputes to review the decision. This court checks if the rules were followed when the permit was denied. If McDonald’s thinks something went wrong with the process, they can still fight the decision.
Brecht doesn’t hate McDonald’s. They just didn’t want it at that spot. McDonald’s has been trying to build in the countryside, but towns and people often don’t like it because of traffic, trash, and losing open space.
