On Wednesday, February 4, Deputy Marc van Caldenberg signed the cooperation covenant with the municipality of Venlo and involved organizations for a safe, livable, and strong neighborhood Vastenavondkamp in Blerick. The municipality of Venlo, Antares Woonservice, Woonwenz, Wonen Limburg, Kerobei (primary education), Cooperation Foundation for Secondary Education Region Venlo (OGVO), Venlo-Beesel Police, Stichting Spring Childcare, and Province of Limburg join forces for a broad, integrated neighborhood approach. This aims to develop the neighborhood into a place where residents feel at home, are proud of their area, and can count on safety, perspective, and good facilities.
Together with residents
The involved organizations will work together with residents in the coming years on a new implementation plan to make the neighborhood cleaner, greener, and safer. The cooperation focuses on improving housing, education, public space, and livability. This should increase social cohesion, strengthen the sense of safety, and improve the health and vitality of residents. Emphasis is placed on equal opportunities, perspectives for youth, and investing in basic skills. The housing supply in the neighborhood will be improved and made more sustainable, more meeting places will be created, and nuisance will be addressed.
Promising future for everyone
Deputy Marc van Caldenberg: “Together with municipalities, partners, and residents, we are building a future in which everyone can participate. We actively and practically build strong communities throughout Limburg and work structurally and long-term on safe, pleasant, and social neighborhoods. Where residents live healthily and comfortably and youth grow up with opportunities.”
The Province of Limburg supports and facilitates the neighborhood approach. By signing the cooperation covenant, alliance partners express their intention to commit for at least 15 years to sustainable improvement. The coming period will focus on concretely elaborating plans in an implementation program for spatial, social, and safety issues, together with residents and social partners.
For safe, healthy, and social neighborhoods
The area-oriented approach started on November 6, 2025, with the signing of the first cooperation agreement between the municipality of Kerkrade, housing corporations, care and welfare organizations, and the Province of Limburg for safe, healthy, and social neighborhoods in Kerkrade-East. Tomorrow, Thursday, February 5, the signing of the cooperation agreement in Heerlen-North is planned. Then follow the remaining signing moments in Beesel, Geleen-South, Maastricht, Roermond, and Vaals.
10 million for neighborhood and village approach
The Province of Limburg invests a total of 10 million euros in the Area-Oriented Neighborhood and Village Approach, intended to structurally improve livability and livelihood security in eight places. These are: Kerkrade-East, the Vastenavondkamp neighborhood in Blerick (Venlo), Heerlen-North, the Maastricht neighborhoods Nazareth and Pottenberg, Donderberg in Roermond, the Offenbeek neighborhood in Reuver (Beesel), Geleen-South, and Vaals. Because every neighborhood is different, the approach remains tailor-made. Plans are made in consultation with residents so that they fit the environment and the people living there.
Learning from each others experiences
To continuously improve the approach, a Learning Network is being developed. To learn from each other within Limburg but also so that experiences in Limburg can serve as an example for other regions in the Netherlands. This way, we learn how vulnerable neighborhoods can best be helped now and in the future.
Besides the Learning Network, there is also strong cooperation between government officials, educational institutions, and social partners. This administrative alliance ensures that the wishes and goals of residents in the eight places are well heard. The alliance further investigates what is needed to achieve breakthroughs in the area-oriented approach and ensures that local issues are actually taken into account in policies, plans, and investments. Besides the eight involved municipalities and the Province of Limburg, housing corporations, various ministries, hospitals, health insurers, educational and welfare institutions, police, and public health services are part of the alliance.