Voorschoten Municipal Council Commits to New Plan for the Cultural Sector

This week, the Mayor and Aldermen proposed to the City Council that it develop a new substantive plan regarding the future of the library on Wijngaardelaan. They are also re-examining how the other cultural organizations can be accommodated in the center of Voorschoten. This proposal follows a more in-depth analysis of the expected costs and responsibilities of the Library+, which was conducted in recent months in collaboration with the relevant partners. The Executive Board concludes that the costs are high and that there are also many risks and uncertainties, the extent of which is not yet clear.

The municipal executive believes that the current “ ” plan does not strike the right balance between costs, risks, and societal benefits. The proposal to the city council is therefore not to proceed with the current “Bibliotheek+” plan. An alternative plan to accommodate the remaining cultural functions will be presented in the second quarter of 2023, which will better anchor culture across society as a whole. The municipality will continue to engage in dialogue on this matter with various stakeholders, such as the library, the film theater, and the users of the cultural center.

Alderman Paul de Bruijn (Real Estate):“A great deal of time has been invested in planning the Library+ project, and we greatly appreciate that. It is certainly not a bad plan. However, when annual costs amount to nearly a million, with many outstanding risks for the municipality, it is better to pause for now and come up with a proposal as soon as possible that better aligns with current societal needs, without jeopardizing other services. Of course, we understand that this will also cause disappointment among some parties, but ultimately there will be a plan that better anchors the future of the cultural sector in society and thereby prepares it for the future.”

Follow-up Process

The municipal executive’s proposal was presented to the city council this week. The aldermen in charge will meet again in November with the relevant organizations as part of the Voorschoten Multifunctional Accommodation (MFA) steering committee. The Citizens & Governance Committee will discuss the proposal on December 1, and a final decision will be made at the city council meeting on December 8.

Continuity

The cultural organizations will continue their activities at their current locations until the city council makes a final decision in 2023. This means that the library will remain where it is, and that users of the cultural center can continue to visit it until a suitable alternative is found.