Successful Community Engagement Evening on the Heat Transition
On Tuesday, March 4, the Municipality of Voorschoten organized a public participation evening on the heat transition. During this meeting, residents shared their ideas on how a regional heating company and collaborative heating solutions could be implemented in our village.
That evening, residents said that affordability, feasibility, and reliability are the most important considerations in a heating transition. Several participants expressed concerns about the costs. They asked for more clarity on the financial implications of the transition. There was also discussion about the scale and organization of a regional heating utility.
Regional Approach
Most attendees support a regional approach, but there must still be sufficient room for cooperation with local initiatives. In addition, there was discussion about the new municipal authority to designate areas for a district heating network. The majority thought this was a good idea, provided that a viable alternative is available and residents are given sufficient time to make the switch.
Engaged Residents
Councilman Hubert Schokker: “We see that residents are engaged and are offering critical input on the choices we must make as a municipality. Affordability and reliability are, quite rightly, key concerns. We will take this input into account in our future decision-making and will, of course, continue to involve residents in the next steps of the heating transition.”
Next Steps
The input from this public engagement evening and the written responses will be taken into account in the further decision-making process. The framework of guiding principles will be discussed by the city council on May 15, 2025. For more information about the heat transition, visit www.voorschoten.nl/aardgasvrij.