Dutch councillors attend Bocholt council meeting as guests

The public council meeting last Wednesday was attended by Dutch guests. The city of Bocholt had invited the council of the municipality of Aalten.

The last meeting took place in 2016. Bocholt's mayor Thomas Kerkhoff and Aalten's mayor Anton Stapelkamp agreed that they did not want to wait another eight years until the next council meeting between the city of Bocholt and the neighbouring Dutch municipality of Aalten. Around 60 German and Dutch councillors, the members of the Bocholt-Aalten International Advisory Committee and the boards of both municipalities have now met in Bocholt for a joint exchange of information.

The joint council meeting was preceded by a meeting of the two boards from Bocholt and Aalten. These cross-border board meetings take place regularly once a year between the two municipalities.

Projects, centre vision and central cycle path

At the board meeting, Mayor Thomas Kerkhoff reported on the various construction projects in the school sector, among other things. He also informed the Dutch guests about the current status of the town hall remodelling and reported on the branding process in Bocholt.

On behalf of the municipality of Aalten, Alderman Ted Kok presented the status of the "Centrumsvisie Dinxperlo". The remodelling of the Dinxperlo market square goes hand in hand with the redesign of the Hellweg. The Suderwick market square will also be included in the plans. According to Kok, the aim is to achieve a joint design, for example with uniform paving and greenery, in Dinxperlo and Suderwick in this area. The guests from Aalten also reported on a planned study for a central cycle path between Lichtenvoorde, Aalten and Bocholt and the status of the international network office.

Visit to LernWerk Bocholt

The joint council meeting began with a visit to LernWerk Bocholt. The new building on Industriestraße will be home to the cultural administration, the music school and the adult education centre. An extension will be available as a gallery and studio for the Bocholt Art and Culture Association.

The rest of the agenda included brief presentations by the city of Bocholt and the municipality of Aalten. Representatives of the German and Dutch fire services reported on the status of the cross-border project "CrossFire" - the construction of a joint fire station. The German and Dutch council members then drew up proposals for cross-border cultural and educational programmes.

EUROPE DIRECT Bocholt promoted the 2024 European elections with a German-Dutch flyer, giving the council members ample opportunity to exchange ideas. A guided tour of the new "Green Centre" in the Fildeken-Rosenberg district concluded the visit.

Support from the EUREGIO

The Bocholt and Aalten Council Meeting project is made possible by the Interreg Germany-Nederland programme and its programme partners and is co-financed by the European Union (EU).