Point of view kieskompas

To balance the supply and demand of electricity in Wageningen, we will place wind turbines in locations where the impact on nature and the landscape is as small as possible. We believe it is important to make a clear choice for a location, so that costs do not rise unnecessarily and local residents know where they stand.

Heating with natural gas is not sustainable. That’s why we want all homes to be taken off gas as quickly as possible. By 2040 at the latest, every house must be disconnected. To achieve this, we invest in alternatives: collective heating networks, heat pumps, and of course insulation. Collective heating networks can be supplied by sources such as river heat, surface water, geothermal energy, industrial waste heat, and electricity.

The energy transition starts with saving energy and insulating homes. We accelerate the transition with a single service desk for homeowners’ associations and tenants — multilingual and with active guidance. We provide targeted support to tenants to help insulate their homes. We link home improvements to neighbourhood‑based procurement so that economies of scale reduce costs. For each home, we define a minimum performance step (such as moving toward energy label C) and support sustainable heating options that fit the character of the neighbourhood.

For Connect‑Volt Wageningen, it is essential that the municipality continues to carry out its core tasks properly and reliably. While we support the importance of green spaces and good maintenance, these ambitions should never come at the expense of the municipality’s basic responsibilities. By focusing on innovation and collaboration with WUR and residents, we aim to keep the costs of green maintenance as low as possible.

A strong element of the 2024 Biodiversity Plan is its emphasis on planting native species. These species naturally belong in our environment and form an important food source for local animal populations. Connect‑Volt wants to add that planting and sowing should use only organic plant material. In practice, plants are often grown using pesticides, meaning seeds or young plants may already contain residues before they even reach public spaces. By choosing organically grown plant material, biodiversity is genuinely strengthened and harmful substances are prevented from unintentionally entering our living environment.

Space is limited in Wageningen. The available space must be shared between housing, facilities, and green areas. In some neighbourhoods we can expand, such as between the Haarweg and Gamma, and between Wageningen and Bennekom. In other areas — like the Sahara, Wageningen Hoog, and the harbour district — we can increase density.

Waiting lists for social housing are far too long. Too few homes are being built for students and for older residents who depend on social housing. This means we need more high‑rise buildings and more than 40% social housing.

New development projects are assessed based on their social value. Developers often claim that an ultra‑expensive segment is necessary to keep projects financially viable in Wageningen. With a social‑benefit assessment, we ensure that construction serves the interests of the city — not exclusively those of the developer. The assessment looks at four criteria: affordability, green space, participation, and local amenities. It is applied both during the planning phase and when permits are issued.

Waiting lists for social housing are far too long. Too few homes are being built for students and for older residents who depend on social housing. This means we need more high‑rise buildings and more than 40% social housing.

Everyone who studies in Wageningen should have the opportunity to live here. We want to support this by creating more affordable rooms and studios, adding extra floors where appropriate, and using clear rental permits to prevent nuisance. We want to retain the talent that drives the innovative character of the city.

Everyone who studies in Wageningen should have the opportunity to stay and live here.

Connect‑Volt Wageningen stands for a balanced financial course, looking both at increasing revenue and at responsible cost‑cutting. On the revenue side, measures such as raising parking fees can be considered. At the same time, we see opportunities to reduce costs by using resources more efficiently — for example, by closing the town hall one additional evening per week.

The property tax (OZB) is an important source of income for the municipality, used to fund essential public services. We believe that homeowners, through the OZB, contribute their fair share to building the city together, enabling the municipality to continue providing a pleasant living environment for everyone. In our view, cutting spending would have too many negative consequences for the municipality’s social core tasks.

We believe that the dog tax should not be abolished and that the revenue should be used for dog‑related facilities in the city, such as dog‑walking areas and dog parks. We think it is fair that the costs for these facilities are covered by dog owners, so that residents without a dog do not have to contribute.

Space is limited in Wageningen. The available space must be shared between housing, facilities, and green areas. In some neighbourhoods we can expand, such as between the Haarweg and Gamma, and between Wageningen and Bennekom. In other areas — like the Sahara, Wageningen Hoog, and the harbour district — we can increase density.

Wageningen deserves a vibrant nightlife that offers space for young and old, for artists and entrepreneurs. We want to give entrepreneurs the freedom to set their own opening hours. In addition, the municipality should actively explore how the promotion of parties and cultural events can be supported. We want the municipality to work proactively on preventing nuisance, so that entrepreneurs have the freedom to organise nightlife in more places across the city.

The city centre should also move away from a car‑oriented design. With fewer cars in the centre, we improve livability and safety, and the air quality becomes better. This reduces traffic congestion and creates more space for pedestrians, cyclists, and greenery. A parking garage just outside the inner city should support this shift. There must, however, be sufficient parking spaces for people with disabilities. From the parking garage, there should be logical walking routes toward the centre that are fully accessible for people with disabilities.

When designing the living environment, the livability of the neighbourhood comes first. At the moment, many neighbourhoods offer too few play areas for children, and streets are primarily designed for cars. By creating residential courtyards and low‑traffic zones, we increase safety, strengthen the sense of community, and give children the space to play outside.

On all roads — except the main arterial roads — we apply a maximum speed of 30 km/h. We want to explore whether reducing the speed limit on arterial roads to 30 km/h could help reduce cut‑through traffic passing through Wageningen.

Connect‑Volt stands for a world that is closely interconnected. We are pleased that a decision has been made to improve Wageningen’s current access roads and ring road. We strive for an accessible, sustainable, and livable environment in which (public) transport is available to every resident and contributes to a healthy lifestyle.

To reduce crime, intimidation, and feelings of insecurity on the street, it is essential that we have enough enforcement officers equipped with the right tools. Together with them, we must determine what is needed to carry out their work effectively. Greater visibility on the streets increases the chances of catching offenders.

Safety cannot be guaranteed by cameras. They are often expensive and come with privacy risks. We want a structural solution. The market square, and other public spaces, should be designed according to the safety‑by‑design principle: no dark corners, always an escape route, and clear sightlines.

We want to create ‘stepping‑stone jobs’ to offer opportunities to people who struggle to find work. We see these jobs as a way to put the Participation Act into practice. We encourage people receiving benefits to make use of them and contribute to society in a meaningful way.
This way, every resident of Wageningen gets a fair chance at a better life and a meaningful place in our community. We look beyond income alone. Health, security of livelihood, personal development, and social connection carry just as much weight. That is why we link income support to culture, sports, education, and a sustainable local economy. The safety net should help people move forward, not hold them in place.

By investing in accessible cultural education for everyone, as well as in good rehearsal spaces and exhibition venues, the amateur arts and the creative sector in the municipality can flourish. We invest in an active community in which every resident of Wageningen has the opportunity to develop broadly.

We want a music venue in Wageningen, preferably located in the Junushoff.

We also provide care for animals owned by people with low incomes. The animal‑care scheme reimburses essential veterinary treatments (diagnostics, vaccinations, neutering/spaying, and emergency care) up to an annual household limit. We will anchor this in the municipal regulations. In a caring city, both people and animals matter.

Wageningen is a Rainbow City, and we are proud of that. Everyone belongs. There is no place for discrimination or exclusion in Wageningen. We actively oppose every form of inequality, whether based on gender, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, origin, skin colour, or religion. An inclusive society means that all residents feel safe, respected, and valued, and that every Wageninger has equal opportunities to participate and contribute to our community.

We want one of the alderpersons to be responsible for combating discrimination, promoting inclusion, and strengthening social cohesion.
gelijkwaardigheid als onderwerp krijgt.

We strive for a democratic municipality that truly listens to its residents. At the moment, residents are not involved actively enough in political decision‑making. This can be improved by giving residents and local businesses a say in matters such as energy or heating supply (energy communities), and by using the national government’s tools to support organised citizen participation. Citizens’ assemblies and citizen forums offer valuable opportunities to involve residents in major issues. They help bring concerns and ideas to the surface and allow people to contribute to practical solutions.

The national government and the municipality have agreed that Wageningen will build 3,000 new homes by 2030, increasing to 3,500 by 2040. This growth is urgently needed, especially for starters, students, and single‑person households. At the same time, available space is limited, and many potential building locations are owned by commercial developers.

The balance between densification and expansion, and the overall growth of Wageningen, is complex: the city is bordered on several sides by nature reserves and is known for its strong appreciation of nature. At the same time, urbanisation puts pressure on the village‑like, human scale of the city — especially now that Wageningen is becoming increasingly attractive internationally. How these aspects are combined in the city’s development is a difficult dilemma. We believe that a citizens’ assembly has an important role to play in addressing this challenge.

In Wageningen, we adhere to the reception targets set under the national dispersal law, and we do more where possible. We want to focus more on small‑scale accommodation within the city. We also want to explore opportunities for mixed living arrangements with students and young people, such as the ‘Plan Einstein’ model in Utrecht.

As a municipality and as a city of liberation, we stand firmly for international law. Wageningen is home to many international residents, and as a municipality we want to offer our support to everyone affected by war and injustice.