Council of State blocks plans to build hotel, apartments on Soestdijk Palace grounds

The Council of State has blocked plans to rezone Soestdijk Palace and build apartments and a hotel, among other things, on the palace grounds. The Netherlands’ highest administrative court ruled in favor of the 11 organizations that objected to the new owner’s redevelopment plans, ordering the municipality of Baarn to reexamine the zoning.

Soestdijk Palace had belonged to the Dutch government since 1971 and was inhabited by Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard until the prince’s death in 2004. In 2015, the government decided to sell the palace and the estate. MeyerBergman Erfgoed Groep bought the property, and in February 2022, Baarn approved the new owner’s redevelopment plans.

The new owner wanted to restore the palace, the park, and the monuments on the estate and open it up to the public. The plans included opportunities for catering establishments, a hotel, conference rooms, and housing in the adjacent Alexanderkwartier.

Eleven parties, consisting of locals and nature organizations, appealed against the zoning plans. They feared nuisance and damage to the nature on the estate, among other things. They also argued that the plans did not take locals’ interest sufficiently into account and would generate too much and unsafe traffic in the area.

The Council of State ruled in the complainants’ favor. The administrative judge concluded that the municipality did not properly investigate traffic management and safety at events. It should also look further into the consequences events could have for the protected nature reserve. The Council of State ordered the municipality to reexamine its zoning plans.