Aalbeke (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Bosschaert Constructions withdrew its clay quarry permit in Aalbeke. Managing director Geert Bosschaert plans a new application in 6 weeks. Residents, led by Nele Valcke, remain alert over noise and environmental concerns.
As VRT News reported, Bosschaert Constructions, a company based in Kortrijk, has withdrawn its application for a clay extraction permit on Doomanstraat in Aalbeke, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium.
Managing director Geert Bosschaert said the current application was incomplete and would probably not be approved.
“There is no point in continuing this process in this form,”
he explained. He also said the withdrawal is temporary and that the company plans to submit a complete application within about 6 weeks.
What will Bosschaert construction do after the Aalbeke quarry permit withdrawal?
The news has drawn mixed reactions from residents who have protested the quarry project for years. Many see the withdrawal as a short pause rather than a final decision. Residents worry about noise, traffic, and environmental effects if the project goes ahead.
Nele Valcke, a local critic, said she has mixed feelings.
“It’s a short-lived euphoria,”
she says.
“If he submits a new application, we’ll have to start from scratch. But the intention is that we won’t let this get us down and that we’ll see what we can do to stop the clay quarry. That’s what we promised the people of Aalbeek.”
Bosschaert Construction was 1st granted a permit to excavate clay on Doomanstraat in 2014. At that time, residents objected to the project, and Bosschaert withdrew their request. After many years of inactivity, Bosschaert submitted a second request for a permit to dig clay at the end of 2024, which was met with opposition from the city of Kortrijk and the local community regarding the noise, dust, and traffic generated by the operation.
In early 2025, hundreds of objections and petitions were sent to provincial authorities, and the provincial authorities also denied the application.
