Move Brussels Airport to a new place (ask the NIMBY's)

[Stij]

The double double agent!!!!

[Acid-drop]

Well if you read carefully, they are not again the group of 12, they are against the unrealistic demand of moving the airport. But they still want less noice by cerfew, better routes and less noisy planes.

[Atlantis]

But their demands of less noise, better routes, etc is normal and that's why behind the scene they are working about the juridical platform to "solve" this problem for once and all. At least it will be much better for BRU and the users of BRU to have a solid, juridical basis.

[Acid-drop]

Exactly ...
How can you promote BRU to big foreign operators without a stable solid juridical basis.
You can be affraid of the nimbies, but also be affraid of the ministers of today and tomorrow (probably the most random and yet biggest threat).
Problem : we hear the nimbies and the counter-nimbies but the minister is strangely VERY silent.

[Didymus]

Not surprising seen the flight paths issue ruins political careers: Isabelle Durant and Melchior Wathelet Jr. to name two.

[Atlantis]

Exactly ...
How can you promote BRU to big foreign operators without a stable solid juridical basis.
You can be affraid of the nimbies, but also be affraid of the ministers of today and tomorrow (probably the most random and yet biggest threat).
Problem : we hear the nimbies and the counter-nimbies but the minister is strangely VERY silent.

The minister was not that silent. In a public statement she declared that a move of the airport is out of the question.

About the other things, she is maybe quiet in public but working good behind the scenes. She is follow up the airport very well and sitting together with all parties to work on a stable juridical basis. More then ever, BRU was asking for this because they have big plans for the future and want to secure themself of course.

It's better to work in silence behind the scenes then to be in front of the camera like we saw in the past and to ruin everything.

[Passenger]

How can you promote BRU to big foreign operators without a stable solid juridical basis. You can be affraid of the nimbies, but also be affraid of the ministers of today and tomorrow (probably the most random and yet biggest threat).
Problem : we hear the nimbies and the counter-nimbies but the minister is strangely VERY silent.

1. Like Atlantis already stated: minister Galant reacted quickly and to the point. A few hours after the first press reports about "move the airport", Galant has sent out a press release: "I don't discuss a move because it's too expensive and because we then simply move the problem. I don't react to the other demands because I prefer to handle the noise problem in silence and with all involved". That's exactly what Galant needed to say and her press release had good coverage in the press - example: Flemish public tv VRT / De Redactie: http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/binnenland/1.2365891

2. The irrational demand has put those twelve action groups in a terrible position (which is good news...). Wie gelooft die mensen nog? It's useless to have a debate with people who demand something as stupid as "move of Brussels Airport". Action groups "Sterrebeek 2000" and "Zone S", both not asked to join the Magnicifent Twelve, quickly saw how contraproductive the demand to move the airport is, and they've launched a counter attack: "we dissociate from the twelve because we fear that their demands make it impossible to negociate a compromise between living conditions and economical interests".
http://www.ringtv.be/nieuws/sterrebeek- ... n-zaventem

3. I don't share your view that we have to be afraid of "the ministers of today and tomorrow". Without going too much into party politics, I think it's fair to say that we now have a federal government that aknowledges the economical importance of Brussels Airport much more then previous federal governements. Furthermore, there are plans to remove airport matters from a Ministerieel Besluit (a decision by the minister) into a new Aviation Law (vliegwet):
http://www.lukvanbiesen.be/2015/06/open ... -pakken-4/

[regi]

We had a similar subject some time ago.
I replied with the rather unusual idea to flatten the Zonien forrest and build a new airport on top of it.

For those more interested:
go on Google Earth or maps and see how the ring road is interrupted in the south of Brussels.
That was a decision many years ago to not disrupt the rich, powerful and wealthy in that area. It had nothing to do with the preservation of the ancient forrest. In those days they didn't care about that .

It would create numerous jobs in construction ( see dramatic figures because of no investment in large infrastructure projects)
It would be a brand new item, no compromise.
It would shut the mouth of the action groups in Brussels because the forrest is mainly on Brussel's soil - contrary to Zaventem which is in Flanders.

Ecology?
construct an island in front of Knokke , coastal town. The place where those same rich inhabitants of those communities Ukkel and Watermaal Bosvoorde have their upscale holiday retreat. Stuff that artificial island with seals, trees, birds and their befriended bird watchers . Keep this island for the next 50 years unspoiled untill another Regi MkII comes up with the fabulous idea to tear everything down and build there the airport for Flanders and the Netherlands.

And what about Zaventem?
As I suggested earlier: keep it as a real military airport. Design and manufacturing site for military airplanes. Such as my A400 gunship brainchild . Not such a weird idea: Asco is already involved in the A400 project.
And nearby is ADB, airport equipment manufacturer.

[Araneus]

There is an easy solution for the problems around EBBR. Just start buying houses in the most troublesome areas: Zaventem, Diegem, Humelgem, Steenokkerzeel and Wambeek. This is a progressive process, by use of something called 'voorkooprecht'. In a number of years most of the houses will be in the hands of the airport. They can be demolished and a green zone can be created! Less people to complain around the airport.

This also elimenates the possibility for new residents in the area that can start complaining.

[Stij]

There is an easy solution for the problems around EBBR. Just start buying houses in the most troublesome areas: Zaventem, Diegem, Humelgem, Steenokkerzeel and Wambeek. ...

I have a variant:

Expropriate all houses for a price as if the airport wasn't there.
Offer the house back to the original owner at the same price but with a clause that whatever the evolution of the airport might be, no complaints can be made. Some kind of "erfdienstbaarheid", "servitude", "easement".

Those houses not sold, offer them to the market with the same contract.

Those who want to get away can, those who want to stay can...

I think it wouldn't cost a lot, as most will prefer to stay...

Cheers,

Stij