'It is not a storm with stables'

Noord-Brabant has been applying the stables requirement since last year, with the intention of limiting the stable area of ​​intensive livestock farming. Both quitters and growers struggle with this policy. There are hardly any success stories.

"First demolish stables and then build", that is the motto of the province. For every 100 m² new barn must (within the same area) 110 m² to be cleaned up in stables. Stopper and grower have to find each other before the shovel can go into the ground. René Dilven, real estate advisor at DLV Advies, calls parking a complex regulation in the purchase transaction. The requirement is that an entrepreneur has demolished or repurposed the barn in advance. "This can be a significant and time-consuming investment if the meters have not yet been sold or repurposed."

The purchasing party must already have the parking meters in the bag during the first phase of the permit request. Changing a zoning plan takes at least 9 months and can cost €25.000, excluding parking. "An entrepreneur therefore has to incur significant costs," says Dilven. If the permit is not issued, the parking meters can be resold. According to Dilven, however, it is not said that the meters retain their value.

Uncertainty with air washer
Pig farmers have had an extra challenge since mid-July. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) has significantly reduced the emission factors for odor from combined and biological air scrubbers. According to Dilven, Noord-Brabant's policy discourages the use of air scrubbers in any case and focuses on other barn systems (for example the 'pig toilet'). The question is what to invest in as an entrepreneur. "Nobody wants to be a guinea pig."

All these factors mean that there have been few success stories to date. Dilven knows 2 applications that were successful. He also has a handful of concrete proposals pending. There may be more applications in 2019; with a view to the stopper arrangement that will expire in 2020. Dilven says that provincial policy should be clearer. According to the real estate advisor, Noord-Brabant wants to work on 'workable regulations'. He opts for an exemption for the smaller projects. "For example in projects up to 200 m², where no additional animal numbers are involved."

It's not a storm
A spokesperson for the province of Brabant confirms that the applications are not going through a rush. The construction meters are indeed available; especially with a view to the stopper arrangement. "There is also a question here and there, but it hardly leads to requests," says the spokesman. According to him, 5 applications have been known so far. The extenders are mainly pig farmers; the stoppers come from both pig and poultry farming.

The spokesperson says that information has been given in places in recent months; to entrepreneurs, but also to advisers and policy makers. It is difficult to estimate how many applications there will be in the coming months, according to the project leader. According to Verzantvoort, entrepreneurs have adopted a wait-and-see attitude, partly fueled by the decision of the Den Bosch court.

At the end of May, the judge ruled that the municipality of Reusel-De Mierden may not refuse the expansion of a pig farm, based on the stabling requirement. This is because the permit application was in the final phase, making the requirement unreasonable. Verzantvoort can imagine that this ruling has consequences for new applications. ZLTO also has lawsuits pending, of which entrepreneurs probably want to wait for the verdicts.

Dependent on third parties
There is officially 8 weeks between the application and issuance. "When all things are in order, it can also be arranged within 2 weeks," the spokesperson assures. However, in the absence of data, the request can take much longer. He knows an example where a stopper had rented out his stable. The lease was terminated in order to initiate the parking application. The protocol that the entrepreneur must demonstrate is that the barn has been used commercially for the past 3 years. For this he depends on the Combined Statement of the tenant. Out of frustration about the canceled lease, he did not come with the information about the bridge. "In that case, the procedure will be delayed."

Prices and offer
According to the spokesman, the applications of the 6 parking areas have so far mainly been in the municipalities in Northeast Brabant. According to Dilven, that's where the offer lies. "Prices from €30 to €40 per m² are common", says Dilven. In the areas near Tilburg and Eindhoven, the supply is scarcer as a result of previous regulations. It is difficult to estimate what the parking meters will cost in the future, according to the DLV real estate advisor.

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is editor-in-chief of Boerenbusiness. He also focuses on dairy, pig and meat markets. He also follows (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.

w.baan@boerenbusiness. Nl

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