The Province of Utrecht has mapped out what is needed to make the construction of 88,000 homes possible by 2030. In this so-called Preconditions for Housing Construction report, it states that the biggest bottlenecks in housing construction are: unprofitable peaks, nitrogen space, grid congestion, investments in mobility, and lack of personnel. To address these bottlenecks, help from the national government and the new cabinet is crucial.
From the IPO, a similar report external link was made outlining the national picture. It also shows that the national government must contribute to unlocking housing construction. According to the twelve provinces, 4 to 5 billion euros are structurally needed annually to address bottlenecks.
Deputy for Housing Rob van Muilekom: As the Province of Utrecht, together with municipalities, corporations, and construction parties, we have made ambitious agreements with the national government about building many homes. In practice, we see that the national government does not fulfill these agreements in the so-called housing deals. And it is really up to the national government to solve these bottlenecks we encounter. If this does not happen, the housing deals are nothing more than paper reality and do not deliver enough new homes.
Bottlenecks
The bottlenecks described in the preconditions for housing construction report of the Province of Utrecht apply to all municipalities in the province.
Unprofitable public peaks
Especially at the Utrecht regional gates (large-scale development locations around public transport hubs), substantial financial support from the national government is needed.
Nitrogen space
At the moment, it is not always certain whether permits can be granted due to nitrogen issues. This causes significant delays in construction projects, such as in the municipalities of Stichtse Vecht (Ruimtekwartier 2,500 homes) and Veenendaal (Spoorzone 4,000 homes) near a Natura 2000 area.
Grid congestion
Due to the full electricity grid, it is not always certain whether new homes can be connected. This threatens projects such as Cartesiusweg (2,530 homes) in the municipality of Utrecht.
Investments in mobility
For many projects in the Province of Utrecht, investments by the national government are needed in public transport and access roads. If this does not happen, housing projects will not get off the ground. This applies especially to Groot Merwede (75,000 homes in the municipalities of Nieuwegein and Utrecht).
Lack of personnel and expertise
Municipalities, but also corporations and construction parties, literally lack sufficient manpower and expertise to realize the housing task.
More information
For more information, you can visit the website of the Interprovincial Consultation (IPO) external link.
For press information:
lotte.mulders@provincie-utrecht.nl
06 39 25 06 62
