English election programme

Housing in Middelburg: a Home for everyone

Everyone has the right to a home. In the Netherlands, that right has not been upheld in recent decades. There are too few social housing units, first‑time buyers cannot enter the market, and tax benefits favour those who already own a home instead of supporting those searching for one. As D66 Middelburg, we are proud that we were one of the few municipalities in the country that actually achieved the standard of 30% social housing in recent years. We will continue this approach and, alongside the much‑needed social housing, we will also build 30% high‑quality, affordable homes. To improve mobility within the housing market, specific attention must be given to life‑cycle‑proof housing, and we must support residents in moving towards more suitable forms of living.

Projects such as Hart van Griffioen and Hart van Dauwendale are, in D66’s view, strong examples of how inner‑city development is possible in Middelburg. We support collective housing concepts, for example through “friends contracts”. In all redevelopment or new construction, we keep in mind that a neighbourhood is more than just a collection of homes and ensure that there is room for facilities and places to meet. D66 Middelburg wishes every neighbourhood and village centre such a new “heart”.

To achieve these ambitions, the municipality will need courage and decisiveness. Space created through inner‑city development will not be enough. D66 Middelburg wants to make the leap across the N57 and include the area between the fire station and the swimming pool in new housing plans after 2030. When building outside the urban area, we want to protect the unique qualities of the Walcheren landscape. That is why D66 Middelburg advocates for new developments that coincide with new nature, for example by restoring the traditional Walcheren hedge landscape. In this way, we combine housing development with nature restoration and climate adaptation.

We will:
Deliver more than 2,200 new homes before 2030, in addition to the commitments set in the 2023 Housing Deal.
Make the leap across the N57 to maintain momentum in the housing agenda after 2030.
Maintain the standard of 30% social housing and 30% affordable homes in all new developments.
Encourage new initiatives such as knarrenhofjes and cooperative living models.

the relocation coach to help residents move into more suitable homes.
Map out, for each neighbourhood and village centre, the specific housing needs within the local community.
Simplify home subdivision and support residents who want to make use of “friends contracts”.
Establish a “housing seekers council”.

Security of Existence

Security of existence is about more than simply having enough income to pay the bills. It also means access to good education, a safe and affordable home, a healthy living environment, a meaningful place in society, and confidence in the future. In Middelburg, we already work on strengthening this broad concept of security in various areas. Examples include debt counselling, the effort to catch up on building social housing, encouraging participation, and improving access to care and welfare services. Each of these individual efforts contributes in its own way, but too often they still lack cohesion.

We are hearing from more and more residents that they do not experience the municipality as an ally but as an opponent. The human dimension is too often missing from view. The paperwork involved in applying for support is overwhelming and discouraging for many especially for those who are already in a vulnerable situation. Fear of repercussions for making a mistake in an application results in avoidant behaviour. Instead of support and understanding, people experience distrust. This is disastrous for trust in government and undermines precisely what security of existence should provide: peace of mind, clarity, the feeling that you are not facing challenges alone, and perspective for the future.

It is time for the next step: an overarching plan for broad security of existence in Middelburg. With an integrated approach, we will connect poverty support, housing, care, education, and employment. We will help residents more quickly and more effectively, without them getting lost in a maze of desks and rules. We want everyone in our municipality to be certain that there is a realistic perspective for a dignified life, for personal development, and for a future in which no one is excluded. Earning trust begins with giving trust.

We will:
Streamline minimum‑income schemes so that residents who are entitled to them can find and access them more easily.
Introduce a “Middelburg Pass” that brings together poverty policy, sports, culture, and education.
Implement the one‑stop‑shop principle to improve the way we support residents.
Establish the right to rectify mistakes.
Improve municipal communication by ensuring it is written in plain and understandable language.

Climate and Energy

D66 Middelburg will invest additional resources in making homes more sustainable, with priority for low‑income households. This will permanently reduce energy costs and combat energy poverty. We will accelerate neighbourhood implementation plans to move away from natural gas between 2035 and 2050. We will do this in close consultation with residents and with attention to comfort, affordability, and sustainability. This ensures that residents know well in advance what to expect, and that the municipality facilitates an affordable transition.

Businesses including agricultural businesses must also have more opportunities to generate, store, and exchange their own energy, including north of the A58. This reduces grid congestion and benefits local finances. D66 also supports energy communities: local, citizen‑driven initiatives that collectively advance the energy transition.

We will:
Invest in making homes more sustainable, with financial support for low‑income households.
Start implementation at the neighbourhood level to achieve climate neutrality, with timely communication to residents.
Promote the use of residual heat from nuclear plants to provide affordable heating.
Give businesses more room to generate, store, and share sustainable energy.
Encourage and support resident‑driven initiatives for the energy transition.

Circularity

D66 Middelburg aims for a circular economy by minimising the municipality’s use of raw materials and maximising reuse. This will reduce CO₂ and nitrogen emissions. We will set clear requirements for circularity and the use of natural materials in construction projects, and we will make municipal procurement fully circular. Additionally, we want to establish a Milieustraat++: a facility where waste streams are efficiently separated and reused, including space for a repair café and a second‑hand shop. In this way, we make sustainability both concrete and visible in the city.

We will:
Make municipal procurement circular and bio‑based.
Establish a Milieustraat++ with a repair café and a second‑hand shop.
Deploy a mobile mini‑milieustraat in neighbourhoods twice a year.
Actively promote circular and bio‑based construction.

Climate Adaptation

D66 Middelburg wants to prepare the city more effectively for extreme weather by prioritising climate adaptation. We will create more space for water and greenery in public areas. This will help absorb heavy rainfall and reduce heat stress. New developments and neighbourhood redesigns must contribute to a climate‑resilient city for example, through green roofs, permeable paving, and adequate shade. Together with residents and organisations, we will work on practical solutions that make Middelburg future‑proof.

We will:
Expand ecological management of municipal green spaces.
Actively protect the “green lungs” of Middelburg, including the allotment gardens.
Create parking areas at the city’s edges to make the centre and neighbourhoods greener and less car‑dependent.
Promote green gardens, roofs, and walls.
Encourage inner‑city greenery, dynamic green spaces, and façade

Biodiversity

At the same time, we will improve biodiversity in and around Middelburg. We will promote more nature‑friendly management of green strips, parks, and verges, and stimulate the use of native species. We will tackle light pollution through street lighting that automatically adjusts its intensity depending on whether people are present. We will also give space to initiatives such as community gardens, green schoolyards, and nature‑inclusive construction. By making the living environment greener and more diverse, we strengthen the ecosystem as well as residents’ quality of life.

We will:
Introduce adaptive lighting in rural areas to combine safety with biodiversity.
Green, cool, and make the inner city and neighbourhoods more water‑resilient, once sufficient parking is available at the city’s edges.
Apply the 3‑30‑300 rule: a view of 3 trees from every home, 30% greenery in each neighbourhood, and a maximum distance of 300 metres to the nearest park.

Tourism

Tourism is part of Middelburg’s DNA. We are a welcoming municipality, and we want to remain so. Our city has a long tradition of tourism that we cherish. Visitors appreciate our historic city centre, and increasingly also our cultural offerings. Tourism brings vibrancy, supports local entrepreneurs, and enables facilities from which our residents also benefit — such as shops, hospitality venues, and events. It is therefore an important part of both our identity and our economy.

At the same time, pressure on liveability is increasing. In the city centre, tourism leads to high parking pressure and streets full of cars searching for a parking space. More and more homes are being withdrawn from the regular housing supply for recreational rentals or second homes. As a result, finding an affordable home becomes increasingly difficult. Children’s bicycles in the streetscape are being replaced by rolling suitcases, and in some streets there are more Airbnbs than regular family homes. In recent years, the first steps have therefore been taken to allow the municipality to keep close tabs on these developments.

We are fortunately still far from becoming the new Venice, but it does sketch a future we all want to avoid. It is time to manage tourism more effectively. We want to remain a welcoming municipality, but in a way that is also sustainable for our residents. That means clear, stricter rules for new recreational rentals, safeguarding the balance in busy areas, and seizing opportunities to spread tourism better throughout the year and the region. This way, we keep our municipality both attractive and liveable for visitors and residents.

We will:
Reduce parking pressure in the city centre.
Expand parking facilities at the edges of the city.
Further roll out the ban on housing speculation and limit second‑home ownership.
Set stricter requirements for new recreational rentals.
Where possible, return second homes to the regular housing supply.
Increase mooring fees for cruise ships, ensuring those tourists also contribute.
Continue the successful efforts to extend the tourist season.

Culture

The cultural offerings in the municipality of Middelburg have become increasingly rich and diverse in recent years. From a city where once not much was happening, we have grown into a municipality where hardly a day passes without a cultural activity. Culture makes our city attractive and vibrant. It is the source of creativity that inspires residents, attracts entrepreneurs, and welcomes visitors. At the same time, we cherish the monumental character of Middelburg and the rich cultural heritage that makes our city so special. Proper maintenance and careful preservation of our monuments are self‑evident to us. In neighbourhoods where there is room for art, initiatives, and experimentation, pride and connection grow. This is how we work towards a city with character: open, distinctive, and full of energy.

Culture is the space where people can express themselves, meet each other, and where new ideas emerge. From performances at De Spot to traditional ringrijden in Nieuw- en Sint Joosland. From the Fisheries Days in Arnemuiden to Middelburg Volkoren, and from visual artists and musicians to football and scouting associations. A society that invests in culture invests in the opportunity for everyone to contribute to the story of our municipality.

D66 Middelburg wants every resident with a good idea for their neighbourhood to truly be able to act on it. Fewer rules, more trust in residents who want to create something meaningful. Whether it’s a neighbourhood festival, a mural, or a meeting space. Culture in the broadest sense strengthens social cohesion. By giving room to these initiatives, we build together towards a free, engaged, and lively city.
We will:
 
Introduce the Middelburg Pass to connect cultural supply and demand.
Support De Spot in its development into an independent pop venue.
Ensure that other musical and cultural expressions also maintain a strong position.
Make it easier for resident‑led initiatives to access cultural funding.
Continually assess which initiatives should or should not receive subsidies so that valuable existing and new initiatives are given a fair chance.
Ensure sufficient resources to maintain Middelburg’s monuments at the level they deserve.
Support new cultural initiatives with a constructive and welcoming attitude.
Prepare for the arrival of the Zeeland Collection Centre.

Health

Good health is fundamental. D66 Middelburg chooses to link health, well‑being, care, and support. In doing so, we can provide effective help to residents who need it. We focus on early detection and on greater collaboration and data‑sharing between organisations to provide help at the earliest possible stage. This prevents more intensive care needs later on. Zeeland is heading toward a shortage of 7,500 care workers by 2030 a situation that is simply not sustainable.

Prevention

Prevention is better and cheaper than cure: the best care is the care that is not needed. That is why we focus on preventing care needs by investing in what keeps people healthy, active, and engaged. We promote vibrant neighbourhoods, encourage sports and exercise, and design the municipality in ways that invite residents to stay active and live independently for longer. We ensure that social meeting places are easily accessible and preferably multifunctional. We focus especially on neighbourhoods that are farther away from central meeting facilities. Start with the basics, use the strength of volunteers, and ensure a meeting place in every town and village.

We will:
Invest in broad health initiatives to reduce demand for care.
Ensure that new housing supply is prepared for the care needs of tomorrow.
(Re)open social meeting places.
Work toward increasing the vaccination rate to above 90%.

WMO and Youth Care

Access to care must be simple. Which municipal department your specific care need falls under should be a problem for the municipality not for you. We want every resident with a care request to be able to go to a central point without having to figure out which desk handles which issue. The municipality and cooperating care providers will also go into the neighbourhoods to offer low‑threshold contact close to home.
D66 Middelburg maintains the position that the (municipal) government should take a restrained role in deciding what care a person specifically needs. We believe this is better determined by care professionals such as general practitioners or community nurses, after which the municipality issues the appropriate care indication.

We will:
Invest in relationship management with care providers. We will remove bad actors and reward conscientious ones.
Stand firmly for the right of choice, so residents can select their own care provider.
Offer care without formal indications wherever possible.
Pay more attention to supporting and appreciating informal caregivers.
Strengthen the position of independent client support workers.

Education
Middelburg: a student city

With the Joint Research Center Zeeland (JRCZ), Middelburg has gold in its hands. Nowhere else in the Netherlands do vocational, applied, and academic education work together from design to implementation. Together with UCR and HZ, we successfully fought to retain international students in Zeeland in recent years. We want to build on this success. Over time, every child in Zeeland should be able to complete their entire educational journey within the province. Middelburg should be not only a municipality where students want to study, but also a place where they want to live after graduation.

We will:
Stand with educational institutions against national education cuts.
Promote further collaboration between vocational (MBO), applied (HBO), and academic (WO) education in Middelburg and Zeeland.
Ensure sufficient housing for students on a continuous basis.
Work with UCR and HZ on the further integration of (international) students into Middelburg’s community.
Facilitate and support activities by and for students.
Work with pupils and students on shaping a municipality they want to live in later.

Primary and Secondary Education

For D66 Middelburg, our responsibility extends beyond the physical school buildings. We aim for good education close to home and aligned with the needs of the labour market. Every child deserves to learn in high‑quality classrooms. If the merger plans of the secondary schools on Walcheren move forward, Middelburg will support the construction of the merged school in Middelburg. All school buildings must be safely accessible by bicycle for every child.

We will:
Permanently incorporate initiatives such as the “rich school day” and “promising start” into municipal planning.
Improve indoor climate conditions in school buildings during new construction or major renovations.
Develop and implement a roadmap for bicycle‑safe routes to schools.
Work with schools to create safe, green schoolyards with sufficient bicycle parking.
Prepare for the establishment of a secondary‑education campus in Middelburg.

Freedom and Safety

Freedom
Middelburg is the city of the Four Freedoms. These values form the foundation of our history and our community life. We are proud of this tradition and feel the responsibility to continue nurturing and updating it. We do this by making freedom tangible in the daily lives of our residents and by creating space for conversation, encounters, and reflection. This ensures that the meaning of freedom is not limited to commemorating or celebrating, but becomes something we experience together and pass on to new generations.

From that same conviction, we continue to work toward a Middelburg that takes human rights seriously and protects freedom in the broadest sense of the word. The Rainbow Ballot Agreement and our human rights policies are important guiding tools in this effort. They help us not only to create policies for residents, but also to critically examine our own actions, processes, and the ways in which we as a municipality can set a positive example. After all, freedom does not only mean space for everyone — it also means a responsibility to protect and respect one another.
We will:
 
Involve Middelburg residents more actively in events surrounding the Four Freedoms Awards.
Repeat and broaden initiatives such as the 2024 Freedom Conference.
Further develop and strengthen human rights policy.
Join and implement the ballot agreement to combat femicide.
 
 

Safety

D66 is committed to a Middelburg where everyone feels safe on the streets, in the neighbourhoods, and in the city centre. Safety and health go hand in hand. That is why we choose to shift funds within the municipal budget away from investments in buildings and land, and toward investments in people and liveability.
We want to do more to make places that are perceived as unsafe especially by women genuinely safer. This includes visible supervision in neighbourhoods: recognisable, approachable officers who are accessible, bring calm, and address unwanted behaviour. In doing so, we work toward our ambition of winning the title “Healthiest City in the Netherlands” in 2030.
We will:
 
Reallocate budgets from physical assets to safety and health.
Ensure a strong team of municipal enforcement officers (BOA’s) to improve supervision and enforcement on the streets.
Make unsafe places safer through redesign, better lighting, and greater attention to how spaces are experienced.
Address known hotspots of insecurity, such as TREF, with dedicated safety plans.
Engage with nuisance‑causing youth and look for alternative meeting places to prevent displacement problems.
Deploy recognisable neighbourhood managers who are visibly present, approachable, and able to bring calm and clarity to neighbourhoods.
Invest structurally in the living environment and in both the mental and physical health of residents.
Work purposefully toward winning the title “Healthiest City in the Netherlands” in 2030.

Healthy Economy

Space is scarce in Middelburg, which means we must make deliberate choices about the types of economic activity that suit our city. Middelburg has traditionally had a strong foundation in retail, services, and public administration, and we want to strengthen that identity. Our business parks are primarily intended for these sectors; expansion will only be considered when restructuring or densification is no longer possible. We aim for smart, future‑proof business parks with sustainable energy generation and sharing. The municipality plays an active role as a connector between entrepreneurs and educational institutions, enabling local businesses to grow and helping retain young talent.

At the same time, we want to give entrepreneurs space without burdening them with excessive rules. Legislation and regulations must be clear, transparent, and workable, with consistent enforcement and sufficient capacity to oversee compliance. Entrepreneurs also deserve a single, recognisable point of contact within the municipality to ensure they receive quick and effective support. This is how we build a reliable, sustainable, and business‑friendly city where economic growth aligns with Middelburg’s character.
We will:
 
Set requirements for new businesses regarding pollution and employment.
Prioritise restructuring before considering expansion of business parks.
Support companies in jointly advancing sustainability efforts.
Ensure clear, consistent regulations without unnecessary paternalism.
Create sufficient enforcement capacity to ensure fair compliance with rules.
Promote and facilitate exchange and collaboration between the business community and educational institutions.

Hospitality Sector

New hospitality policy is currently being developed, and for D66 Middelburg this includes aiming for a vibrant and lively city centre. This should include room for more night permits, ensuring that options after midnight are broader. This will also help reduce nuisance from overcrowded venues and long queues on the street. Additionally, we believe that soft‑drugs policy must have a clear place within this framework. Through proper education, we want to prevent addiction and the use of hard drugs. The introduction of a legal point of sale for soft drugs can contribute to this by reducing illegal street dealing and thereby improving safety and liveability in the city.
We will:
 
Promote a lively evening and nightlife climate.
Create space for new hospitality entrepreneurs, including nighttime establishments.
Rework and modernise the soft‑drugs policy after 30 years.
Address nuisance caused by illegal street dealing.

Good Governance in Our Democracy

Declining trust in government is a trend we must reverse. In recent years, D66 Middelburg has taken the lead in creating opportunities for residents to participate. For example, at our initiative, the first citizens’ assembly in Middelburg was organised. In major projects and policy shifts, we consistently stood firm in ensuring thorough consultation with residents and made sure that the input they provided was meaningfully incorporated into decision‑making.

For D66, involving residents in plans that affect them is an investment well worth making. Engaging residents in the challenges and possible solutions within their municipality fosters understanding and trust. This is how we actively address concerns among residents and arrive at solutions that enjoy broad societal support.
At the same time, we see that the way participation processes are currently shaped too often leads to forms of interest representation rather than broad involvement. The voice of the wider community and of future generations remains insufficiently heard in major societal issues. This is especially true for the voices of young people. This must change.
We will:
 
Further develop the “Middelburg Meets” platform.
Establish a new participation ordinance.
Actively deploy new forms of participation, such as citizens’ assemblies, for societal challenges.
Give young people a serious voice in the municipality through a youth council.
Experiment with the citizens’ amendment.
 
 

Healthy Finances

D66 Middelburg is proud that the municipality is in a strong financial position for the first time in many years. The budget is balanced, and there are buffers to address tomorrow’s challenges. At our initiative, dormant reserves and incidental windfalls were transferred to the new investment fund. This allows us to finance projects such as Hart van Griffioen and Hart van Dauwendale. From this investment fund, future “heart of…” projects can also be financed. We want to maintain this financial health and resilience.

The national trend of shifting municipal tasks to external organisations concerns us. The multitude of partnerships does not make things easier for residents either. While we recognise the benefits of regional cooperation, we must be cautious about increasing the distance between government responsibilities and democratic accountability. Providing high‑quality, broad public services for our residents must remain the foundation. In this context, we continue to believe it is wise to carefully assess the advantages and disadvantages of forming a single municipality of Walcheren.
We will:
 
Not raise municipal taxes for residents by more than the inflation correction.
Invest in activities that yield returns and thereby keep the budget sustainably balanced.
Continue strengthening and actively using the investment fund for strategic investments in Middelburg.
Allow active land policy only when supported by strong plans that demonstrably contribute to public value.