The Hague's Vlietzone Development Plan Faces Opposition
In The Hague, municipal plans to develop the Vlietzone are generating significant tension. The proposal aims to push more businesses into green zones, a move that is facing opposition from both neighboring municipalities and members of the city council.
- The Hague's municipal plan diverges from the provincial vision, "Toekomstbeeld Vlietzone," which designates the area as a "stadslandschapspark" essential for recreation, biodiversity, and climate adaptation. The Hague is the only participating municipality, which also includes Leidschendam-Voorburg and Rijswijk, that has not adopted this provincial framework, opting instead to create its own development program. - Opposition is consolidated around an alternative vision called the "Haags Cultuurlandschapspark," developed by BoschSlabbers landscape architects for the Vlietzoom Alliantie. This plan, which prioritizes green space and relocating heavy industry, was endorsed by a motion in The Hague's city council in September 2025, requesting the college to use it as a basis for the area's development. - A key point of contention is the potential relocation of an "afvalcluster" (waste cluster) and other heavy, transport-dependent businesses to the Vlietzone. Opponents argue this is incompatible with the area's ecological value and that the Westvlietweg is already overburdened with freight traffic. - The Vlietzone is considered a crucial ecological corridor and "green lung" for the dense urban region, connecting green areas between Delft and Leiden. A 2025 report from the Algemene Vereniging voor Natuurbescherming (AVN) highlighted a surprising biodiversity with 1,780 observed species, including iconic ones like the green woodpecker and the weasel, reinforcing its value for the livability of surrounding neighborhoods. - The development is linked to major urban densification projects in the nearby Central Innovation District (CID) and Binckhorst, which are projected to add 35,000 homes and 30,000 jobs. The Vlietzone is seen as a necessary outlet for the increasing demand for recreation, sports facilities, and business space generated by this growth. - The municipality's economic strategy for the existing Westvlietweg III business park involves intensification, revitalization, and providing space for companies focused on the circular economy, aligning with Zuid-Holland's broader economic goals. - While the broader plan is debated, specific developments are moving forward; in February 2026, the municipality officially reserved a 1.5-hectare plot within the Vlietzone for a private Islamic cemetery with space for approximately 1,400 graves. - The formal process involves creating a municipal "Gebiedsprogramma" which will serve as the foundation for a new environmental plan ("omgevingsplan"). A public comment period on the Nota Reikwijdte en Detailniveau (NRD), which outlines the scope of the required environmental impact assessment, took place from September to October 2025.
