The province of Utrecht has taken note of the Budget Memorandum and the National Budget of the cabinet with interest. As a region, we are ready for active solution-oriented cooperation with the national government. Future generations also want to enjoy affordable housing, good mobility, and a sustainable and healthy living environment. This is not self-evident and requires significant investments. Therefore, the province of Utrecht strongly urges the national government to show determination and make the necessary investments to realize our challenges and ambitions.
Utrecht is the beating heart of the Netherlands. The economy in our province is thriving and has national and international impact. Daily, we work together with companies and knowledge institutions to combat cancer, pandemics, and infectious diseases and to devise solutions for a healthier living environment. We do not maintain that strong position by chance. For the major challenges we face here - from housing construction to accessibility, from network congestion to the future of rural areas - cooperation with the national government is indispensable.
Housing Construction: 130,000 Extra Homes
In the coming fifteen years, we will enable the construction of 130,000 extra homes in the province, primarily at large-scale construction locations and regional gateways around regional public transport hubs. In doing so, we are taking our role in addressing the housing shortage and seizing all opportunities for sustainable urbanization. However, the national government is needed to fulfill the following conditions: coverage of unprofitable peaks, creation of nitrogen space for homes, solutions for network congestion, financing administrative capacity, and providing sufficient resources for accessibility. For the accessibility of the new construction locations Groot Merwede and the Rijnenburg polder near the city of Utrecht, a partially underground Merwedelijn is necessary.
Accessibility: When Utrecht Gets Stuck, the Netherlands Gets Stuck
Hundreds of thousands of people travel daily via Utrecht Central, Amersfoort Central, junction Hoevelaken, and the Ring Utrecht. Investments in the accessibility of the Utrecht region are therefore of added value for the whole of the Netherlands. When Utrecht gets stuck, the Netherlands gets stuck. The national government allocates millions of euros for accessibility. The province wants the most important investments in Utrechts accessibility to be made possible so that not only the region remains accessible, but the whole of the Netherlands.
Network Congestion: The Biggest Bottlenecks in the Netherlands
The rapid transition to electricity in the province of Utrecht places great pressure on the network. Within the FGU area (Flevoland, Gelderland, and Utrecht), Utrecht has now become the most urgent network congestion area in the country. Without extra capacity, progress on the energy transition, housing construction, and economic development stagnates. The national government shows the will to solve network congestion. The province welcomes the announced measures from the national government but also urges for structural solutions.
The Future of Rural Areas: Working Together for Balance
The challenges are great: nature restoration, reduced nitrogen emissions, better water and soil quality, and sustainable agriculture for the future. Utrecht wants a rural area that is both sustainable and economically viable. Given all the necessary changes in the coming years, we urgently need the support of the national government. We are also pleased that the cabinet is investing 2.6 billion euros in the nitrogen approach, but we will obviously have to study which plans can be funded with this. So that we can subsequently take the necessary steps in conjunction with the Utrecht Program for Rural Areas (UPLG).
Moving Forward Together
Only by investing together can Utrecht and the national government ensure breakthroughs that will help not only the province but the entire country move forward. Provinces and municipalities hold the key to preparing the Netherlands for the future. This means that resources and tasks must be balanced. The national governments help is also needed for this.
For press information:
patricia.schalkwijk@provincie-utrecht.nl
06 51 99 45 32
