The Council for Permit Disputes has ruled that the permit for the new care home in Beersel was not handled correctly. The Council annuls the permit because an incorrect procedure was followed in processing the application. The Council makes no statement on the project's content or design itself.
The case has a longer history. Following the original permit application, some local residents appealed to the province of Vlaams-Brabant. The deputation handled this appeal and confirmed the permit. Against this decision, some residents took their case to the Council for Permit Disputes.
The Council now rules that the college of mayor and aldermen was not authorized to grant the permit in the first instance. However, the local authority followed this procedure based on an assessment by the deputation in an earlier permit application, which ruled that the college was indeed authorized to handle the file.
The local authority regrets that the file is once again delayed as a result. The need for modern care infrastructure in Beersel remains significant. The current care home is over thirty years old and increasingly fails to meet contemporary expectations regarding comfort, energy performance, and user-friendliness.
At the same time, the local authority has been preparing for various scenarios in recent times. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the legal procedure, research into possible alternatives and additional avenues has already been initiated. Together with the involved partners, the local authority is now investigating how a new permit application can be submitted, considering whether the current design will be retained or adapted in light of changed regulations, new insights, and the significantly altered economic context and construction costs.
The ambition remains unchanged: to realize a modern, sustainable, and comfortable home for the current and future residents of the care home as quickly as possible.
