Middelburg municipal council wraps up term with key decisions on dykes, parking and terrace policies
As Middelburg’s municipal council ends its term, residents reflect on decisions shaping local life—from dyke safety to parking and terrace policies. Discover how your voice influenced debates and what’s next for the new council.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Seat Distribution (2025-2026) | GroenLinks/PvdA: 8, LPM: 4, SGP: 3, CDA: 3, D66: 3, ChristenUnie: 3, VVD: 2, SP: 1, FvD/Belang van Nederland: 1, Hart voor Middelburg: 1 |
| Council Meetings | 8 regular, 1 special (farewell), 16 faction meetings, ~45 other gatherings |
| Decisions | 176 proposals: 172 adopted, 1 deferred, 3 sent back, 0 rejected |
| Initiative Proposals | 2 adopted (Trekdijk dyke, handover document), 1 in progress (referendum) |
| Motions & Amendments | 65 amendments (32 adopted), 51 motions (34 adopted) |
| Public Speaking | 29 instances, top topics: terrace policy (7), parking policy (2) |
| Most-Watched Meetings | 1. Catering policy (1,051 live, 440 online), 2. Suspended secretary (837/287), 3. Housing/UCR (552/618) |
| Written Questions | 39 sets submitted, executive board must respond within 30 days |
| Youth Engagement (Democracity) | 346 pupils from 16 classes participated |
| 2026 Election Turnout | 55.8% (up from 55.4% in 2022) |
The Middelburg municipal council represents residents, sets local policies, and oversees the executive board’s actions. This annual review highlights its accountability to citizens and the democratic process in shaping municipal priorities.
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external link to whydonate.comRead the full translated article below
Annual review of the municipal council 2025-2026
On Wednesday, 1 April, the new municipal council will be installed, and the outgoing council will officially step down. In this annual review, you can find an overview of the final year of the old municipal council. What were their key activities? And which topics drew public interest?
Text version of the annual review of the municipal council 2025-2026
Seat distribution
- GroenLinks/PvdA 8
- LPM 4
- SGP 3
- CDA 3
- D66 3
- ChristenUnie 3
- VVD 2
- SP 1
- Forum voor Democratie/Belang van Nederland 1
- Hart voor Middelburg 1
One councillor stepped down and was replaced. Additionally, one party changed its faction leader. The Forum voor Democratie faction continued as Belang van Nederland from early February onwards.
The council has three main tasks:
- Representing the residents of Middelburg
- Setting frameworks and establishing policy
- Monitoring the executive board
Meetings
- Number of council meetings: 8 regular meetings, 1 special meeting (farewell session for the outgoing council)
- Number of Social Affairs Committee meetings: 8
- Number of Spatial Planning Committee meetings: 8
- Number of General Administration Committee meetings: 8
Three of the eight meetings lasted two evenings. In addition, there were 16 faction meetings and around 45 other gatherings, including meetings of the audit committee, working sessions, site visits, technical briefings, visits to district and village tables, and information sessions.
Decisions
- Total number of regular council proposals: 176
- Adopted: 172
- Sent back: 1
- Deferred: 3
- Rejected: 0
Initiative proposals
Two initiative proposals were adopted. One concerned the investigation committee’s report on the investigation into the Trekdijk dyke. The other was submitted by the entire council regarding the handover document for the new council. One additional initiative proposal has been announced and is in progress concerning the referendum ordinance.
Trekdijk investigation committee completed
On 18 June 2025, the investigation committee presented its final report on the investigation into the Trekdijk dyke. On 2 July 2025, the municipal council decided to adopt the conclusions and recommendations from the report.
Motions and amendments
- Number of amendments: 65
- Adopted: 32
- Rejected: 33
- Number of motions: 51
- Adopted: 34
- Rejected: 17
Amendments allow councillors to modify council proposals. Motions enable councillors to express a position and make a request to the executive board or the council.
Public speaking
Residents exercised their right to speak 29 times.
- 2 Speakers: Sterrenwacht-UCR Observatory
- 1 Traffic safety at the city campsite
- 1 Advertising banners in the city centre
- 1 Energy landscape Sloerand
- 1 Gaza
- 1 Investigation into the Trekdijk dyke
- 1 Zoning plan Winston Churchilllaan
- 1 Hof van Buren
- 2 Parking policy
- 1 Vizita Foundation
- 3 Hart van Griffioen
- 2 Spatial Quality Memorandum
- 1 Traffic nuisance Noordweg/Wilgenhoek
- 7 Terrace policy
- 1 De Hoop Mill
- 2 Catering policy
- 1 Redesign of the council chamber
Public interest
The topics that attracted the most interest from the public gallery were:
- Terrace policy
- Parking policy
Viewership figures
The three most-watched meetings were:
1. 1 live viewer: 1,051, 440 online viewers, General Administration Committee meeting of 3 March 2026, Catering policy and redesign of the council chamber.
2. 2 live viewers: 837, 287 online viewers, Follow-up General Administration Committee meeting of 4 March 2026, Discussion of the memo on the ruling in the case of the suspended municipal secretary.
3. 3 live viewers: 552, 618 online viewers, Municipal council meeting of 29 January 2026, Several high-interest topics on the agenda: Housing for the Sterrenwacht-UCR Observatory and UCR, Village vision for Nieuw- and Sint Joosland, and the human rights policy framework.
The meetings of the council and its committees are open to the public. Visitors are welcome to attend the public gallery in the council chamber. The meetings are also broadcast online.
Written questions
A total of 39 sets of written questions were submitted. Written questions are a council instrument, also known as Article 41 questions. The executive board must respond to these questions within 30 days.
Democracity
In the Democracity game, Year 7 and 8 pupils simulate a municipal council and make decisions about facilities in a fictional town.
We welcomed 346 pupils from 16 Year 7 and 8 classes in the council chamber.
Elections
On 18 March 2026, the residents of Middelburg elected the new municipal council. The turnout was 55.8%, higher than in 2022 (55.4%).
On 30 March, the 2022-2026 municipal council will bid farewell.
On 1 April, 31 councillors will be installed for the 2026-2030 term. This is two more than in the previous term, as Middelburg now has over 50,000 residents.