Zuid-Holland wind turbine plan in the Green Heart region draws strong opposition
Residents and politicians in the Green Heart, a central Dutch rural area surrounded by major cities in the Randstad, voiced strong opposition to wind turbine plans in Zuid-Holland during a 12-hour Provincial States hearing, Omroep West reports.
The province is considering three wind turbine locations in and around the Green Heart: the Vierambachtspolder in Kaag en Braassem and two sites along the N11 near Alphen aan den Rijn.
According to the province, the areas could accommodate 27 wind turbines, each up to 240 meters high. The proposal replaces an earlier plan that identified 11 possible locations, which triggered widespread political and public resistance and hundreds of written objections.
More than 100 speakers, including residents, council members, and aldermen from Alphen aan den Rijn, Leiden, Delft, and Krimpenerwaard, registered for the hearing. Most focused on wind energy concerns and rejected the plan, with only a small number expressing support.
Alderman Gert van den Ham from Alphen aan den Rijn urged the removal of the sites from the proposal. He stated, "We must conclude that three of the 13 municipalities in our region must achieve the majority of the sustainable energy target. We have already indicated that the proposal is disproportionate, inhumane, and unreasonable.”
Kaag en Braassem VVD council member Aad Blom also warned of broader consequences. “How much may be destroyed to meet your objective,” he said. “Locally, this course has been rejected, yet this plan is now on the table. If the province continues, it will seriously strain administrative relations.”
Opponents raised additional concerns, including potential impacts on meadow birds, turbine noise, and what they described as insufficient public support for the project.
Zuid-Holland Deputy Arno Bonte said he understood the criticism but defended the plan on the grounds of energy security. “We will have to become less dependent on energy from abroad, certainly not from unstable regimes where it has recently become even more unstable,” he said. He added, “We think it can be done here. Many locations are along the N11, for example. So with minimal nuisance, we ensure we can provide for our local energy supply.”
