But the province of Groningen does not want to be rushed by Herepoort’s statement, says Deputy Fleur Gräper. ‘This is not the way we let ourselves be pressured. Normally, a contractor does not communicate through the media about the change in the schedule. We heard it at the same time as the rest, we have not been informed about it before. ‘
‘You can imagine we were unpleasantly surprised. This is not the most productive course of action while you are still negotiating. This does not take us any further, ‘said the commissioner.
Emergency debate
The entire opposition in the Provincial Council wants to get more information about Herepoort’s statement from Gräper through an urgent debate, but they say they are stuck in the area of what they can and cannot communicate with the Provincial Council.
The pressure on the contractor is so great that they believe this is a convenient route
“As I indicated earlier, the negotiations are quite complicated,” continues Gräper. ‘And the pressure is great. The pressure on the contractor is so great that they believe this is a useful route to go through this way. This is not a very productive path. We therefore want to call on the contractor to speed up the settlement agreement, in order to give substance to it. ‘
Still have control?
The opposition in the Provincial Council is curious whether Gräper still has a grip on the negotiations. “We think that the commissioner is no longer at the wheel, but should take a seat in the passenger seat,” says SP States member Kees Frenay. Groninger Belang leader Bram Schmaal: ‘Is the province still’ in control ‘?
Gräper says yes, but is cautious about whether or not both parties will come to an agreement. ‘It is now not in our interest to leave the negotiating table prematurely. I try to fill this in as much as possible and in good conscience. We depend on Rijkswaterstaat as a co-client and we depend on the contractor to get it right. That does not make it any easier and it becomes all the more important to continue to promote the provincial interest and to continue to monitor it properly.
Any word I choose can be used against me
The D66 driver is struggling with that role, she tells the States. ‘This is done in the knowledge that every word I use has not only a political, but also a legal context. Any word I choose can be used against me. In order to guard that, I will actually say as little as possible to harm this provincial interest. ‘
‘That makes it difficult for me, because every word you say can be weighed and read differently. That makes it difficult to conduct this debate with full conviction in order to discuss with each other which choices have to be made. ‘
Commission
The SP and the Party for the North are considering submitting a proposal to set up a new, independent committee. This proposal was withdrawn in order to have more time to submit a proposal in December that is supported by a majority in the Provincial Council. This committee must ensure how the Provincial Council can communicate properly together about problems surrounding the southern ring road. Members of Parliament Leendert van der Laan (PvhN), Kees Frenay (SP) and Nico Bakker (VVD) sit around the table to see whether a committee is the right form, or whether a different working method for the Provincial Council will be considered.
At the initiative of the SP and the Party for the Animals, the Groningen city council also spoke about the situation around the southern ring road. Parties in the city council mainly showed that they were disappointed that last week politicians had to learn through the media that the contractor combination Herepoort was suspending part of its activities.
This is not the way we come out of the negotiations, we will not let ourselves be pressured
Alderman Philip Broeksma (Traffic, GroenLinks) agrees with the parties. The contractor has the right to adjust part of the schedule. But last Thursday, just like you (the council members, ed.) I had to hear through the media that the work was partly suspended. We regret this step. This is not the way we get out of the negotiations, we will not let ourselves be put under pressure. ‘
‘The Hague must help pay’
A majority of the city council wants the extra money that the work on the ring road requires not to be at the expense of projects such as the railway to Stadskanaal and the doubling of the N33 between Zuidbroek and Appingedam. The Hague should help pay for those extra costs, the city council believes.
According to Alderman Broeksma, Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen has previously announced that the government ‘will not make an extra contribution to the implementation costs of Aanpak Ring Zuid.’
Also read:
– Scaling down work on the southern ring road affects subcontractors: ‘We have also invested’
– Gräper about pressure medium Herepoort: ‘The contractor has this right’
– Southern ring road contractor is increasing pressure: work has been partly halted
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