Voorschoten Advisory Committee on Environmental Quality

What does the Voorschoten Environmental Quality Advisory Committee do?

The Voorschoten Environmental Quality Advisory Committee advises the mayor and aldermen on construction plans in the municipality. Previously, this committee was known as the Aesthetics and Cultural Heritage Committee (WCE). The new name stems from the Environmental Act, which will take effect on January 1, 2024.

The committee members are independent experts, each with their own area of specialization. The advisory committee has one citizen member. This member was appointed to represent the public’s perspective on environmental quality. The Voorschoten Environmental Quality Advisory Committee evaluates construction plans against the quality criteria set forth in the Aesthetics Policy (2008). It not only provides advice on “ordinary” construction plans, such as a renovation or the construction of a new home, but is also consulted on urban development projects—such as a new residential neighborhood—and in the adoption of zoning plans. In addition, the Mayor and Aldermen seek advice from the Voorschoten Environmental Quality Advisory Committee on changes relating to Voorschoten’s cultural heritage. These include national and municipal monuments, protected country estates, landmark buildings, and protected village views. In addition, the administration seeks advice on cultural-historical aspects regarding non-monuments, such as new construction within a protected village landscape or in culturally and historically valuable landscapes.

Aesthetics Policy

An application for an environmental permit is always submitted to the Voorschoten Environmental Quality Advisory Committee. Small-scale construction projects are assessed against the fast-track criteria. You can download the Aesthetics Policy at the bottom of this page.

Procedure

Permit applications and preliminary consultation cases are always first reviewed to ensure the completeness of the submitted information and compliance with the zoning plan. If the plan meets the requirements, it may be submitted to the committee.

Meetings

The committee’s meetings are open to the public and are held at the Voorschoten town hall or online. As the applicant, you may explain your building permit application during the meeting. If you wish to do so, you must indicate this when you submit your application. Because the meetings are open to the public, you may attend without the right to speak; you do not need to register to do so.

Would you like more information about the committee? If so, please contact the secretariat of the Voorschoten Environmental Quality Advisory Committee. You can reach them by email at the following address: welstand@voorschoten.nl.

You can view the regulation establishing the Voorschoten Environmental Quality Advisory Committee on the website Overheid.nl.

You can view the committee's Rules of Procedure here.

The Voorschoten Environmental Quality Advisory Committee consists of the following members:

  • Mr. M. Peek, Ir. – restoration architect (advisor to the Village, City, and Countryside Foundation)
  • Ms. R. Van der Werff, M.Eng. – architect (advisor to the Village, City, and Countryside Foundation)
  • Citizen Member: Ms. F. Lamboo, M.A.
  • Dr. H.M.J. Tromp – cultural historian, estates and country homes

Documents