Aalbeke – In Aalbeke near Kortrijk, over 700 residents are opposing Bosschaert’s clay pit project. Despite the company’s revised plans, local protests led by individuals like Pieter Valcke persist, citing ongoing environmental risks and the history of permit rejections, reports 24brussels.
The ongoing dispute over a proposed clay pit continues to stir unrest among Aalbeke residents in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. Bosschaert, the demolition and construction firm behind the project, aims to extract clay from a site located on Doomanstraat.
What will happen to Bosschaert Clay Pit after 700 protests?
Residents assert that the new submission from Bosschaert fails to alleviate their apprehensions regarding the clay pit. “Essentially nothing has changed,” said Pieter Valcke, a resident living adjacent to the proposed site.
“Today’s turnout shows how strong our bond is,”
says Nele Vrand, Valcke’s wife. “We are a truly Flemish village where the community stands up for each other.”
Concerns among the public revolve around the potential for the project to disrupt the landscape, contaminate groundwater, and impact local wildlife. The construction could threaten the habitat of the Great Crested Newt, a protected species. Additionally, there are widespread fears that Bosschaert plans to eventually fill the pit with excavated soil from other locations, which may be contaminated.
A public inquiry into the updated plans is open until Monday afternoon, August 25, 2025, allowing residents to submit their objections for review. Following this, the Kortrijk city council will offer its recommendations. Officials have warned that the modifications may not suffice for project approval.
The conflict regarding the clay pit in Aalbeke has persisted for over a decade. Bosschaert’s initial permit request, submitted around 2013, faced immediate resistance from the local community, which raised alarms over environmental and health risks. Close to 300 objections were lodged at that time, leading to the plan’s rejection.
In 2023, the company submitted a new application, igniting additional protests within the village. Hundreds of residents marched through Aalbeke to demonstrate their opposition. During the public inquiry, more than 700 objections were filed, surpassing the number from the initial attempt, resulting in another rejection of the permit.
