Make public space notifications easier

When discussing the Citizens’ Agreement G1000, CDA South Holland noted that it should be easier for citizens to make reports about public spaces. According to A.S., this is not possible in the short term, and does not constitute an essential mission for the governorate. However, the Community Development Authority sees a simple solution to this: making agreements with municipalities and water boards on sending reports so that they reach the appropriate government. Speaker Bas Nottenbohm therefore moved an amendment to adopt the proposal for a reporting center from the Citizens’ Convention.

It is often not clear to the resident which government owns or manages the public space. As a result, the assessor is sent from one column to another and the problem is not solved. The establishment of a center for reporting on public space was explicitly discussed during a citizens’ assembly held in 2023 in the province of Zuid Holland. In addition to a reporting point in public places, the Citizens’ Convention also requested a central information point in public places via an app or website, for example.

In cooperation with the G1000 Foundation, the Citizens’ Council in South Holland was organized in 2023 with the central question: What do you think should be different in South Holland? Through a lottery, 480 participants discussed what could change in the South of the Netherlands. The results of these deliberations were published in the Regional Citizens’ Agreement. The provincial council had previously promised to include the results of the agreement in coalition discussions. One proposal was to create a reporting point for public space.

Speaker Bas Notenbaum: “The issues raised by the Citizens’ Agreement are very clear and cannot be ignored by the province. Agree with municipalities or water boards that they will be the primary reporting point for public places and that they will send the report to the appropriate government behind the scenes. There is no need for complex technology for this. Let’s take An example is from the cooperating authorities in the Hollands Delta Water Board’s working area, where reports are already dealt with in this way.

Photo: Hans van Loon