Soest municipality cleared to fell trees at De Oude Tempel

A Dutch judge has ruled that the municipality of Soest may proceed with the felling of nearly 2,000 trees at the De Oude Tempel estate. The decision follows an emergency procedure initiated by the Stichting Ontwikkeling Behoud erfgoed Soest-Soesterberg (SOS) and local residents, who sought to halt the clearing until a full legal review of the permit could take place.

The trees are slated to be removed to make way for the construction of between 160 and 220 new homes. While opponents raised concerns regarding the impact on local biodiversity—noting the presence of protected species like the red squirrel and badger—as well as the loss of wind protection and cooling effects, the judge determined that the urgent interest required to halt the process was not sufficiently substantiated.