A long-running legal dispute over the new Vitaz campus in Neerkouter, Sint-Niklaas, has been settled, clearing the way for construction to begin as early as 2028.
Vitaz, the city of Sint-Niklaas, Bond Beter Leefmilieu and the Action Committee for Environmental Protection on the Left Bank announced the agreement in a joint press release.
In return for ending its opposition to the project, the environmental side secured binding conditions on reducing hard surfaces and improving sustainable mobility.
Under the deal, Vitaz will transfer four city-centre car parks to the city, which will green them as much as possible. Any additional hard surfacing elsewhere will also have to be offset.
The new campus must also be at least as accessible by public transport as the current hospital. If needed, Vitaz will contribute financially to this for the next 20 years.
The site itself will include green roofs, solar panels, and systems to reuse rainwater and allow it to soak into the ground.
