Moerdijk residents cautiously hopeful village can be saved

Residents of Moerdijk are cautiously optimistic that their village can be saved after the Dutch government said keeping it is a feasible option. No final decision has been made, and residents say they have no guarantees.

The government’s latest assessment indicates that planned expansion of the port and industrial area nearby would need substantially less space than previously thought. State Secretary Jo-Annes de Bat said the space requirement is now more than halved compared with last year, according to the residents’ group Dorpstafel Moerdijk.

“We still have a lot of question marks, but we are cautiously optimistic,” a Dorpstafel spokesperson said. The group campaigns to preserve the village and improve liveability in the area.

The government has said further work is needed before Moerdijk’s future is settled. Its assessment identifies keeping the village as feasible, rather than confirming that it will remain.