The construction of Logistiek Park Moerdijk will not go ahead for the time being. Due to stricter nitrogen standards, the Council of State has put a line under the current plans for the business park in North Brabant.
Logistiek Park Moerdijk is to be a 142-hectare logistics business park near the A16/A17 motorway. With the park, the province aims to strengthen the position of the West Brabant region in the handling of containers coming from the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp.
Nitrogen emissions must be compensated
The current building plans do not comply with the nitrogen ruling, the Council of State ordered, as it must be clear before construction starts what measures will be taken to compensate for damage to nature. These measures are missing from the planning for Logistic Park Moerdijk.
The provincial government of North Brabant has six months to make a so-called Passive Assessment, which should show the impact of the project on the surrounding Natura 2000 areas. If necessary, a so-called ADC test must show that the province will reduce or compensate for nitrogen emissions in the surrounding areas.
Not surprised by ruling
In a joint statement, the Province of Noord-Brabant, Havenbedrijf Moerdijk and Moerdijk municipality said they were not surprised by the State Council's ruling. "It is necessary to demonstrate even a little better which nitrogen measures will be taken, but there are several possibilities for that. For example, it is now clear that the business park will be completely gas-free, which means the companies themselves will not emit any nitrogen. LPM will become an example of a business park where sustainability has been fully incorporated into the design."
