Minister calls for halt on house building near Zaventem

Flanders’ environment minister Joke Schauvliege wants to stop new houses being built in the areas around Brussels Airport where aircraft noise levels are excessive. She has drafted a plan that would halt all building in zones affected by the highest noise levels (above 70 decibels), while restrictions would apply in other areas where the noise level is lower.

The plan involves reclassifying land in areas of high noise levels so that local municipalities would no longer be allowed to issue building permits. For years, residents living in the municipalities of Flemish Brabant that lie under the airport’s main flight paths have complained of noise nuisance. With the arrival of Ryanair, even more air traffic is travelling over the cities. In 2010, the airport signed an agreement with the state to limit take-offs at night and to route more flights over less populated areas.

Machelen mayor Jean-Pierre De Groef has criticised Schauvliege’s new plan because it would lead to a drop in the supply of affordable housing. “We need to have enough new housing and renovated buildings to maintain the dynamic nature of the municipality,” he argued. “Under these proposals, we would no longer be allowed to build any houses anywhere in the centre of Diegem.”

De Groef said that the government should be tackling the problem at its origin by spreading flights over a wider airspace and forcing airlines to use quieter aircraft.