Fate of Josaphat housing project in the balance

Planning permission to build 509 homes on the Friche Josaphat - the vacant public land near Josaphat Park in Schaerbeek - is in jeopardy, as a parliamentary majority could block the controversial construction project.

A moratorium on the housing plan was recently discussed by the parliament's territorial development committee. Now MPs from the Green Party, with support from the liberals, Les Engagés and the N-VA (New Flemish Alliance), making up 43 of the 89 seats available, need just two more votes to adopt the proposal.

The dossier caused much tension in the previous Brussels government, while Brussels has still not elected a new one. The Socialists (PS) that supported the plan were fought by the Greens, but eventually won its battle.

The government could not agree on the "Master Plan of Construction" in which the urban development of the land should take place, and which would determine the building plans.

The Urban Development Corporation (Société D’Aménagement Urbain - SAU) that owned the former railway site, decided not to wait for the government and went ahead with awarding a contract to construct a first series of 509 homes – helped by the boards of directors of agencies with the PS at the helm.

The company website announces that the plan for the disused site is to “reconcile city and nature” to create a “mixed-use and sustainable district”.

“The text has two goals,” said Brussels Ecolo MP John Pitseys. “The first is to protect a certain number of nature reserves based on three criteria: biological value, being at least one hectare in size, and public responsibility.

"The second aim is to give the authorities an important incentive to finally draw up a revised and climate-friendly Regional Land Use Plan."

Liberal MP Gaëtan Van Goidsenhoven is pleased with the plan, saying: “The Mouvement Réformateur supports the desire to protect the region’s high-quality natural heritage.”

The French-speaking Liberals said they wanted to recognise the area west of the railway line in the "friche" as a nature reserve, as: "This will allow the people of Brussels to benefit from the exceptional biodiversity of the site without compromising the biological qualities of the place."