Nog nooit stonden zoveel strandbars aan de Belgische kust.

Nog nooit stonden zoveel strandbars aan de Belgische kust. De regels zijn tien jaar oud en kustburgemeesters lobbyen vandaag voor een verdere versoepeling, al raken ze het onderling niet eens. Verschillende badplaatsen zoeken alleszins de grens op van wat mag. Volgens de natuur- en milieubeweging zit het strand echt wel vol.

  • myrmidex@kbin.social
    2·
    11 months ago

    Money in the bank

    In any case, the rental of beaches and dikes brings money into three pots: to beach entrepreneurs, to local governments that collect concession fees, and to a lesser extent to the Flemish government (Agency for Maritime Services and Coast) that gives the beaches in concession to the municipalities. Except for the beach along the dike of De Panne, pieces of Koksijde and the port of Zeebrugge, the entire coastline is owned by the Flemish Region.

    However, Flanders only collects 10% of the amount it would be legally allowed to charge. “This is because a number of charges are shifted to the municipalities, such as the granting of permits, the organization of competition, cleaning up sand nuisance or the installation of signage,” says Peter Van Camp.

    In 2022, Flanders collected 440,751 euros in concession fees from the coastal municipalities, excluding De Panne. Those municipalities in turn collected at least 2.3 million euros from their concessionaires, although the figures do not include income from De Haan and Ostend.