An unusual coalition of a cheese farm and a childcare center in Schellach has presented the municipality of Middelburg with a petition bearing nearly a thousand endorsements. The initiative is part of plans for 'Skaeve Huse', a concept combining living, working, and caring for one another in the Zeeland countryside.
What is Skaeve Huse?
Skaeve Huse is a Danish concept that is increasingly being applied in the Netherlands. It involves a residential model in which people with care needs live together in a small-scale community, often combined with regular housing and work facilities. The term 'skaeve' means something like 'crooked' or 'different' in Danish — referring to the space it offers people who do not fit into standard housing and care models.
In practice, Skaeve Huse often come about through collaboration between care institutions, housing associations, and local entrepreneurs. The combination with a childcare center and a cheese farm in Schellach is characteristic of the versatility this model can offer: young children and adults with support needs share the same living environment, yielding mutual benefit.
Procedural step with the municipality
The submission of 1,000 signatures to the municipality of Middelburg is a formal step in the planning procedure. In the Netherlands, special residential models often need to apply for a zoning plan amendment or an environmental permit. Endorsements from local residents and stakeholders can carry significant weight in municipal decision-making, particularly when there are also objections to a proposed development.
The municipality of Middelburg will process the petition in the preparation of the zoning plan or environmental permit. Depending on the procedure, this may lead to a preparatory decision, a draft zoning plan with opportunity for public consultation, or direct treatment in the municipal council.
The support of nearly a thousand residents suggests there is broad backing for this type of small-scale, mixed residential model in the Zeeland countryside. Whether that will be sufficient to successfully complete the municipal procedure depends on the legal assessment and any opposition.
Source: Wij zijn De Stad Middelburg