Zelzate (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Zelzate is tightening rules for night shops due to noise and underage alcohol sales. New shops must be 400 meters apart. Alderman Martin Acke emphasizes better enforcement without stigmatising shop owners.
The city of Zelzate is worried about night shops. They say the shops haven’t been checked enough. Alderman Martin Acke said that the shops were allowed to open without many checks. When the city checked the shops, they found some problems.
The stores didn’t have the correct documents and weren’t complying with the city regulations. Due to this, the city is amending its regulations to ensure that the stores are inspected more regularly. They want to make sure the shops are safe and not too loud.
Why is Zelzate introducing stricter rules for night shops?
The city of Zelzate is also making a new rule. It says that new night shops can’t be too close to each other. They are setting a perimeter of 400 meters. They want to ensure that there are not too many night stores in one location. This is because they don’t want to disturb residents in the area.
There are already 2 night shops near each other on the Grote Mark. These shops can stay open, but the new rule will apply to any new night shops. The city wants to make sure that night shops are helpful to people but don’t make the area too crowded.
“This is a regulation to help prevent problems in the future. The rules, therefore, also apply to telephone shops, which are currently almost non-existent in Zelzate,”
Alderman Martin Acke says.
According to Alderman Martin Acke, people are worried about the shops, but he hasn’t asked the police for any numbers. He doesn’t want to say that all-night shops are bad. But people have said that there’s a lot of noise late at night in the town center.
They’ve also mentioned that some shops have been selling alcohol to kids who aren’t old enough. This is why the city is making stricter rules for night shops. They want to make sure that the rules are followed.
Alderman Acke mentioned that the city doesn’t want to make the night shop owners look bad. They just want to make sure that the rules are followed better. He thinks that the shop owners know that some things aren’t being done right.
The city and the shop owners both agree that there are some problems. They want to fix these problems without arguing. The city wants to make sure that the rules are followed so that the town is safe and quiet.
