Uplace shopping centre permits approved in face of opposition

The government of Flanders has approved all of the necessary permits for the construction of the Uplace shopping and leisure complex planned for Machelen, just outside Brussels. The decision to go ahead with the project has been widely criticised, including by the government’s coalition parties.

The government approved the project early this year on the condition that a public enquiry be carried out. That gave rise to 73 official objections, which have seen the original plans amended. Opponents have claimed that the complex, which includes shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities, will further burden the already saturated traffic on the Brussels Ring.

Municipalities from Vilvoorde to Leuven complain that they will lose shoppers from their town centres, a point backed by Unizo, the organisation that represents the self-employed. Unizo director Karel Van Eetvelt described the government’s decision as “stupid, short-sighted and hypocritical”.

The government lacked a clear vision of the future of retail, Van Eetvelt told VRT radio. “We’ve been waiting for five years to see a delivery on promises to strengthen existing town shopping areas,” he said. “Those promises were included in the government accords, but no one has the courage to make decisions in that direction.”

Peter Van Kemseke, fraction leader for CD&V in Vilvoorde, said that the decision was “incomprehensible” in a week when the European Environment Agency had produced alarming figures on the number of premature deaths in Belgium as a result of air pollution. Opposition socialists described the plan as “a disaster for mobility around Brussels”.

Flemish chamber of commerce Voka for the Halle-Vilvoorde region, however, gave its approval. “This decision is an important lever for mobility developments in the region, such as a regional express network, the trams lines of Brabantnet and soon, hopefully, the restructuring of the Brussels Ring,” said director Paul Hegge.

The government’s approval of the project now has to be approved by the Council of State, which is expected to report back in the spring. Construction should begin immediately after that, according to Uplace, to be ready to open sometime in 2018.

Photo courtesy Uplace.eu