North edge (formerly Green Zone)
The Draft North Rim Program was available for review from Nov. 28, 2024, through Jan. 9, 2025, with 19 views submitted by interested parties. These views led to changes in the Program. The Memorandum of Response sets out the points on which the Program was amended in draft form. Meanwhile, the Wassenaar City Council has also expressed its wishes and objections about the Draft Program.
North edge: think along, participate, collaborate
More than 25 working workshops, various consultations and residents' evenings contributed to the development of the North Edge (formerly Green Zone) Program. The North Edge Program is the result of broad participation with numerous parties and stakeholders. In addition to residents and businesses in the area, various organizations contributed ideas, discussions and collaboration. Participation is important to the municipality of Wassenaar, which is why this project aims for the highest achievable level of cooperation according to the Regulation on Participation of Residents of the Municipality of Wassenaar 2021: cooperate.
The Noordrand Program is a widely supported proposal for the area thanks in part to the input of cooperating parties such as: province of South Holland, Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (RVB), Dunea, Stichting Duinbehoud, Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen (NPHD), Vrienden van Wassenaar, Ondernemend Wassenaar, Staatsbosbeheer, Hoogheemraadschap Rijnland, interest group Meijendel and the municipality of Katwijk.
Special area
The Noordrand forms the green backyard of the Randstad. It is the last open space connecting the North Sea beach with the Green Heart. The Noordrand is part of the unique and varied Dune Horst & Weide landscape. The former Naval Air Station Valkenburg and remnants of the German occupation also contribute to its special character. It is an area with vast meadows, lines of sight to the dunes that has elements with ecological, cultural-historical and archaeological value.
The first excavation work in the area began in October 2024 and the work has now been completed.
Interview Alderman Wim Koetsier
Agricultural nature; visible, accessible and close to home
The North Rim is a special area where nature, agriculture and history come together.
Wim Koetsier, Alderman Space, Sustainability and Mobility, on the development of the Noorrand. "The College of Mayor and Aldermen believes it is important that we actually implement the numerous plans that have been conceived in recent years. It is high time to actually get started."
The municipality has been working on plans for the Noordrand for some time. When developing a program for the Noordrand, the municipality must take into account the residents and other users in the area. Think of Avalex, the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf, Dunea, residents and entrepreneurs. In view of the Omgevingswet which came into effect last January, an open approach was chosen in 2023 in which the interests of everyone were mapped out and discussed as much as possible. And seemingly opposing interests such as nature versus farmer, or flora and fauna and waste disposal, turn out in practice to be less opposing than expected. They can also coexist.
Wim Koetsier: "Bringing different interests together and jointly 'negotiating out' the possibilities takes time and courage. Land consolidation, for example, must be negotiable in order to reduce agricultural traffic on certain roads, or looking at how farmers can contribute to the management of nature areas. Picking up a program for the area in this way initially takes a lot of time and requires an open attitude from our interlocutors. Later in the development process, this way of working together can save time and create more synergy. For example, the municipality of Wassenaar wants to cooperate better with our neighboring municipality of Katwijk. I also expect that we can develop the Noordrand in phases.'
What does the College of B&W want? Wim Koetsier answers, "We not only want to have an eye for the human dimension, but also provide customized solutions. The Noordrand will contribute to a more beautiful, better and greener Wassenaar than it is now. Because that's what we like to see: Wassenaar residents who can enjoy a nice walk or bike ride along the nature close to home. Enjoying flora and fauna where farming is part of the landscape. Nature where recreation is not intensive but extensive. Where small-scale recreation takes place and it is a good place to be for young and old. By talking to everyone, putting everyone's interests on the table and discovering where there is room for innovation, you gain new insights that you as Alderman can take further.
Participation Process
The basis for the Noordrand (formerly Green Zone) program now being developed is formed by the Structural Vision and the Memorandum of Principles. The Memorandum of Principles provides the framework for the program to be developed and the (re)development of the Noordrand (formerly Green Zone) and was adopted by the City Council on March 2, 2021.
The Noordrand is an area where many interests are involved. To do justice to these interests in drawing up a final area program, we are gathering as much information as possible in the coming period. We will do this by forming an Area Team and by organizing work workshops.
The Area Team weighs and discusses the recommendations of the working workshops. Members of the Area Team then discuss the recommendation with members of the various working workshops in integral sessions.
Area Team
In order for the various parties to have good input, we have formed an Area Team. The team consists of representatives from: Provincie Zuid-Holland, Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland, Dunea, Staatsbosbeheer, Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (RVB), Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen (NPHD), the agricultural entrepreneurs, Vrienden van Wassenaar, Ondernemend Wassenaar, municipality of Katwijk, Stichting Hart voor Meijendel and Stichting Duinbehoud.
Thematic Workshops
Area residents and businesses and various interest groups participate in the working workshops. Some interest groups are also part of the Area Team. In three to four sessions, the participants work out their recommendations together in a direction guide. There are six working workshops around the following themes:
- Cultural History and Landscape
- Economics
- Livability and Health
- Nature and Agriculture
- Water and Climate
- Recreation and Accessibility
Ecological connections
After the closure of Valkenburg Air Base in 2006, it was decided to redevelop the entire area between Katwijk and Wassenaar into a high-quality location for living, working and recreation. The project roughly consists of two parts: the Valkenhorst residential area, with up to 5,600 homes, and a high-quality green buffer zone.
The addition of ecological elements to the Noordrand contributes to the sustainable preservation of the area. There will be an ecological connection between Lentevreugd and the Green Heart, nature-friendly banks will be constructed and meadow birds will have more space.
An important part of the Noordrand is the ecological connection between Lentevreugd and the A44 at the Ommedijk junction (Maaldrift). An ecological connection is being constructed so that animals can move from one area to another. Currently, the municipality of Wassenaar is working on a roadmap for this still missing link in the larger ecological connection between the Hollandse Duinen and the Green Heart. The municipality of Wassenaar is pulling together with the Province of South Holland, the municipality of Katwijk, farmers, Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland, Rijksvastgoedbedrijf and Dunea to realize the ecological connection. The municipality of Wassenaar is pulling together with the Province of South Holland to realize the ecological connection. The connection is part of the national policy to create an ecological network throughout the Netherlands.
Tank trench restoration
Ecological and cultural-historical restoration of the national monument the Tank Trench Wassenaar is also part of the plans. This national monument was constructed by the German occupiers during World War II. It was part of the defense line against Allied troops. The ecological connection will soon run across the tank ditch. During the construction of the ecological connection, the filled-in part of the tank ditch will be restored. Recently, the municipality has been investigating how this cultural heritage can be naturally incorporated into the Noordrand.
Newsletters and more information
Would you like to stay up to date with the latest news and background on the participation process and the development of the North Rim ecological connection? Then send an email to groenezone@wassenaar.nl.