Cleanup set to start at Lint Zevenhuizen housing site

Lint (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A cleanup will start next week at Lint’s Zevenhuizen site, where a new housing project is planned. The landowner will clear years of waste before construction can proceed.

As VRT News reported, a cleanup operation will start next week at the Zevenhuizen site in Lint, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium. The area has been filled with waste and debris for years. Alderman for Spatial Planning Peter Van Hoof (N-VA) said,

“Waste that has been there for years, from clubs that were located there, will be taken away. “There used to be a football clubhouse that has already been demolished, but some concrete slabs are still there. Car tyres and oil drums from the old BMX track also remain, and there may be some illegal dumping.” 

What will happen next at Lint’s Zevenhuizen housing site?

The Zevenhuizen site is planned to host 191 new homes, with 40% designated as social housing. It is not yet certain clear construction can begin. An action committee has been fighting the project for several years, fearing that the development could destroy valuable natural areas and lead to flooding. 

Officials mentioned that hikers often pass through the Zevenhuizen site in Lint. Because the area is still used by locals, the owners will now clear the site.

“Most of this land is owned by private developers and the social housing association De Thuisrand. De Thuisrand is responsible for the cleanup,”

the alderman said

“We’ve seen that residents want more details,”

Van Hoof said.

“That’s why we plan to organise a meeting to explain the current status and future steps.”

Plans to redevelop the Zevenhuizen site in Lint began in 2018, when there was a football clubhouse and a BMX track, both of which were abandoned in 2010. Over time, the site became littered with concrete slabs, old tyres, and oil drums. In 2019, residents created an action committee against the redevelopment, arguing it would be detrimental to nature and that the flooding risks would increase. Residents’ legal challenges held the development process for the next 2 years.