Rotterdam gets green light to build Netherlands' tallest building

Rotterdam can go ahead with its plans to build the tallest building in the Netherlands - a residential tower of 215 meters high - in the Zalmhaven complex, the Council of State ruled on Wednesday morning. The Council rejected objections filed by local residents, ANP reports.

Rotterdam politicians already agreed to the construction. But residents from surrounding neighborhoods turned to the Council of State because they fear the skyscraper will cause parking problems and "affect living conditions". One of their concerns was that the tower will block sunlight, for example.

The Council of State ruling can not be appealed against. However, the municipality of Rotterdam still has to deal with a number of objections from residents against the building permit granted in April.

The Zalmhaven Tower and its two shorter towers, called the Kaan Towers, will contain a total of 492 homes and a number of facilities. If all goes according to plan, the construction of the complex in the Scheepsvaartkwatier will be completed by 2020.