Thor has to find another clubhouse. The rugby club’s case was rejected by the judge, and as a result, its boat has to be removed from the Nieuwe Haven make room for Laga.
The Thor boat can remain where it is until it is in the way of the building works. (Photo: Justyna Botor)
The local authority does not have to initiate a selection procedure for the terrain in the Nieuwe Haven where the rowing club Laga wants to build its new clubhouse. This means that the club boat of student rugby club Thor has to move, as ruled by the judge in The Hague on Tuesday, October 3. The judge decided on the basis of ‘objective, verifiable and reasonable criteria’ that Laga is the only serious candidate for the location.
Two weeks ago the rugby players instituted an interim proceeding against the local authority of Delft together with the packaging facility Hordijk because they want to remain in the Nieuwe Haven. Thor would have liked to see the terrain divided up into lots and a selection procedure instituted. In that way the students could have announced their intention to lease part of the terrain. This would have allowed them to keep their floating clubhouse at its current location or they would have had the option of building a new clubhouse on land.
‘During the hearing we heard that the local authority would win’’
But nothing of that will come to pass. Before the hearing started, Jesse Hols, Thor’s former Location Commissioner, trusted that it would all work out well. Afterwards that feeling was gone. “During the hearing we heard that the local authority would win and that it may rent out the terrain as a whole,” said Hols.
Council of State
It is not known when exactly the Thor boat has to leave the Nieuwe Haven. Before building works can start on the terrain, the Council of State has to render a decision in a case brought by local entrepreneurs. They fear that their current or future business operations will be hampered by the arrival of new residential buildings in the Nieuwe Haven.
In any case, the Thor boat can remain where it is until it is in the way of the building works. Then it can move to a temporary location (until 2028) on the Schie across from the city brewery De Koperen Kat. Moving the boat is not a problem, according to Hols. “We also have to move when there is dredging work done or for quayside inspections. And every five years the boat goes to the shipyard for repairs.”
Thor is already looking for places where there could be a clubhouse on land, but nothing concrete has been found yet. Once something is found, the rugby players want to transfer most of the interior of the old clubhouse to the new one. And there will be a big party. Hols added, “In honour of the boat, because we are not going to celebrate having to move of course.”
- For more background, read: Haggling over Thor’s club boat
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