Campus

More festivities allowed in Delft

To support the hospitality industry, Delft is easing things for terraces, live music and small events. Student associations will also be able to do more.

The Beestenmarkt in Delft. (Photo: Marjolein van der Veldt)

Last week the Delft municipal council adopted the Delft Nieuwe Energie (Delft new energy) proposal submitted by the Stip, GroenLinks, VVD and Onafhankelijk Delft political parties. The proposal consists of various measures that will ease things for the hospitality trade that has been affected by the corona crisis.

Just like last year, the hospitality trade and event sector are not required to pay levies (payment for municipal services) and are receiving a discount on the precario (a tax for the use of municipality land). By not imposing the precario, it will also make it easier for businesses in the hospitality trade that have no outdoor space to open a temporary terrace elsewhere in town.

‘We challenge the associations to come up with good proposals’

There will also be more space for the hospitality trade to have live bands and other small-scale events. The application term for the required permits will be halved to four weeks and organisations will be allowed to submit successive applications more quickly.

Timely announcements
Does this not mean more noise and disturbance for the residents of Delft? According to Stip Councillor Rick van den Brink, who wrote the proposal, this was discussed with residents associations. Announcing events on time and following the rules for minimising sound and for closing times should prevent problems. Further, many larger events are not going ahead. “The residents too think that after a year of silence, the businesses deserve more leeway.”

The measures are not only for the hospitality trade, but for all organisations in the city, including student associations. “They may take the initiative to set up a terrace outdoors somewhere such as in a park, on a disused piece of land or perhaps at the Gasthuisplaats. Now that the proposal has been accepted, the municipality will do its best to facilitate these types of applications. We challenge the associations to come up with good proposals,” says Van den Brink.

Editor in chief Saskia Bonger

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s.m.bonger@tudelft.nl

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