Zottegem and Merchtem address local housing policy and development

In Zottegem, local officials are reviewing housing policy following requests from the N-VA party. The discussion centers on the need for more affordable, smaller, and centrally located homes to address demographic shifts such as aging and smaller household sizes. The municipality aims to align its local strategy with the new Flemish spatial planning framework, which emphasizes densification within existing built-up areas.

Meanwhile, in Merchtem, a planned social housing and middle-income development project in Groenstraat has been halted. A neighborhood committee successfully challenged the project through the Council for Permit Disputes. Residents expressed concerns regarding increased traffic pressure, lack of parking, and insufficient infrastructure in the single-lane street, leading to the cancellation of the twelve social rental units and ten Vlabinvest homes originally proposed.