Belgian Council of State suspends beach bar concessions in Knokke

The Belgian Council of State has suspended the allocation of new beach bar concessions in the Knokke, Het Zoute, and Duinbergen zones. This ruling affects several operators, including Lekkerbek Beach, Blue Buddha, Albertstrand, and Yssi’s Beach, whose concessions are currently invalid. In contrast, concessions in Heist, including Zonnestrand, Marea, Coconut Beach, and Duin 45, remain secure.

The Council cited three primary reasons for the suspension. First, it found that the municipality did not sufficiently investigate whether the exceptionally high financial bids from candidates were realistic and achievable. Second, the Council noted that many proposals appeared to conflict with urban planning regulations, and the municipality failed to adequately assess the extent of these deviations. Third, the Council questioned the necessity of the nine-year term, which is extendable to eighteen years, stating that the need for operators to recoup investments does not sufficiently justify such a long duration.

In Duinbergen, the Council also addressed a dispute regarding a candidate's proposal being declared irregular due to a perceived lack of a ‘structural bond’ between the company and the operator, noting the municipality overlooked elements that could establish such a connection.