Waasmunster (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Waasmunster Mayor Jürgen Bauwens (CD&V) limits De Heide apartments to one per 2,000 m². Luxury units sell over €1 million. Plan protects green spaces while guiding long-term housing growth.
As VRT News reported, the Heide neighbourhood in Waasmunster, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, will now require new apartment buildings to cover at least 2,000 square meters.
They mentioned that De Heide is a green area with many walking and cycling paths running through it and along its edges. The neighbourhood has many large villas, some on plots up to one hectare.
“In recent years, we’ve seen developers buy a villa and build an apartment complex on it,”
explains Mayor Jürgen Bauwens (CD8V).
“It’s becoming a bit of a petrified desert,”
ürgen Bauwens (CD8V), mayor of Waasmunster
How is Waasmunster limiting apartment growth in De Heide to protect green space?
According to officials, most buildings are 3 stories high, but some contain 10 to 15 apartments. More people are moving into the area. Roads and pathways are busier, and green spaces are under strain. Urban planners warn that if development continues unchecked, the neighbourhood could lose its green character.
There is concern that De Heide could turn into a “petrified desert,” where open spaces and nature are replaced by buildings. Residents and experts call for careful planning to protect the environment, maintain mobility, and preserve the unique character of the neighbourhood.
Waasmunster has studied how other towns manage housing growth. Officials consulted municipalities such as Sint-Martens-Latem, Brasschaat, and Schilde. These towns have rules that control apartment construction while protecting green spaces.
Waasmunster will now follow a similar approach in the Heide neighbourhood. Only one apartment building will be allowed per 2,000 square meters. The previous limit was one per 1,000 square meters.
“This will halve the number of apartments. You need a larger plot of land to even be able to build apartments,”
Bauwens continues.
“De Heide is one of our flagship properties, and we’re going to try to protect that beautiful green residential area, also at the request of residents.”
“I often get calls from people who want to live in the ‘pearl of the Waasland’ and are willing to pay a lot for it.”
ürgen Bauwens (CD8), mayor of Waasmunster
“I regularly get calls, and people approach me about living in De Heide. And I also believe that everyone should have a place in our municipality, from young to old and from every segment of the population. But we do need to protect those areas.”
De Heide apartments attract people from outside the town. Many luxury homes sell for more than €1 million. Some even reach twice that price. Wealthy newcomers benefit the municipality because they pay property and local taxes. At the same time, Waasmunster is preparing a long-term housing plan.
“We certainly won’t exclude apartment buildings, but we want zones with specific criteria and options. Apartment complexes will therefore remain possible in De Heide, but fewer will be built. Another zone might focus on family homes, and elsewhere on slightly taller apartment buildings,”
ürgen Bauwens (CD8) said.
Throughout other areas of Belgium, there have been several times in history when similar measures have been taken to address rapid apartment development while at the same time providing safeguards for local character and green space.
There have been reports published in 2019 showing that more than half of the housing projects completed within the Flanders region consisted solely of new apartment construction; however, within these municipalities, there have also been regulations restricting construction to keep the area free from any additional built-up space.
A recent court ruling (2025) in the Brussels Region placed a ban on new developments on land greater than 0.5 hectares until the end of 2026 as a way to help the environment.
