News Province of Groningen
Court of Audit investigates multi-million dollar deal Staghouwer
The Northern Court of Audit is going to investigate a million-dollar deal that Henk Staghouwer, the current Minister of Agriculture, concluded in 2017. Staghouwer (ChristenUnie) was then deputy of the Province of Groningen. The province had lost more than €8 million on agricultural land lease. The investigation must determine whether the province has paid too much.
The land was leased from Bakker Bierum for the construction of a double dyke at Bierum, an experimental concept instead of raising the dyke. The lease has been entered into for 26 years. The land must then be returned in its original condition. That is estimated to cost the province another €1,3 million. The owner of the land is also entitled to compensation if the project causes damage to the adjacent plot that also belongs to him.
The ground rent was paid in one go and amounted to more than 7,7 million. Also 373.000 cut damage was paid. The calculation was based on more than €8.800 per hectare per year. According to some Members of Parliament, this is roughly ten times what was usual in 2016. According to the NOS, this involved 50 hectares and the market value of that land was around €3,5 million.
No valuation has been done. The Court of Audit wants to know why not, what the land was worth in 2016 and to what extent there is state aid (permissible or not). The audit office also investigates whether this was really the only suitable location and whether buying or expropriation was really not an option. It is also being investigated whether other landowners have received a similar offer.
The audit office states in the research plan that Bakker Bierum is also involved in a land transaction with Groningen Seaports that is being investigated by Marcel Booger (University of Twente). Both cases were denounced by the TV program Nieuwsuur. The report should be ready in July.
Linda van Eekeres
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