Koksijde municipal council rejects proposals regarding secondary residents.

One of the main objectives of the non-profit association TWERES, is to establish a dialogue and a constructive cooperation with local authorities.

TWERES was therefore very satisfied with the positive reaction of the Mayor of Bredene, Steve Vandenberghe, towards our association, indicating when we met on 18 September 2020: “together we can achieve much more”. The Mayor agreed to a participatory-formula at the level of the municipality, and supports a pilot project of TWERES to optimize cooperation with the local population.

At the initiative of the Mayor of Bredene, TWERES was also discussed at the Joint Consultative Meeting of Coastal Mayors of October 2020, where it was decided to invite a representation of TWERES to a subsequent Coastal Mayors’ meeting in order to give TWERES a forum to present itself.

On December 14, 2020, the Municipal Council of Koksijde – upon the initiative of Independent Municipal Councilor Ms. Dominique Gillet Wolter Hofmans – discussed an agenda item regarding second residents, asking specifically to vote upon two specific proposals: “(1) to have a listening ear for the voice of second residents with a view to initiate a constructive collaboration, and (2) to establish a permanent working group between the second residents and the municipal administration.”

Both proposals were unfortunately rejected by the Municipal Council. A video of the meeting is available on the website of the municipality (see point 21). One can also find a report of the meeting on the same website.

TWERES will actively pursue this matter, wishing in particular to discuss this further with the local authorities in Koksijde. To this end, President Marie-Anne Coninsx has addressed a letter including a request to meet in a near future, to the Mayor of Koksijde with copy to all municipal councilors.