Oldambt municipality to deny permit for nine-meter Lenin statue

The municipal executive of Oldambt intends to deny a permit for a nine-meter-tall statue of Vladimir Lenin planned for the De Nieuwe Graanrepubliek visitor center in Oostwold. The municipality cites spatial planning regulations as the primary reason, noting that structures without a building function are limited to a maximum height of five meters under the current environmental plan. Officials stated that the four-meter discrepancy is spatially undesirable and that moving the statue to a different location on the same plot would not resolve the issue.

The decision has sparked debate within the municipal council. While the executive maintains that the refusal is based strictly on height regulations and not the political nature of the figure, local political groups such as the VCP and PRO have expressed skepticism. The VCP argued that the statue could serve as a significant cultural and tourist attraction for the region, highlighting the area's communist history.

The initiators have at least two weeks to submit a formal view. A final decision is expected following a council meeting scheduled for October 7.