This flyer was distributed to all residents of and around Frederik Hendrikplein on April 15, 2020.
Lodging an objection on May 4th, 2020
BAS submitted its notice of objection to the granting of the environmental permit to the municipality on May 4th, 2020. The objection elaborates on the lack of architectural quality of the design and the damage to the protected city scape. The enclosed expert report by Evert-Jan Nusselder, a well-known architect and consultant specialized in monumental architecture, elaborates on this. The flyer campaign was successful: many residents of Frederik Hendrikplein and the immediate vicinity filed an objection themselves or authorized BAS to do so. BAS was able to add more than thirty authorizations from residents to its objection. The protest from the residents, BAS and other concerned heritage organizations in the city is apparently so widely supported that the municipality has decided to extend the regular period for the hearing of the interested parties to mid-July. There will be a public hearing and we are waiting for the date to be announced.
The turret has been demolished
On January 13, 2021, before the municipality decided on BAS’s objection to the environmental permit for a roof extention at Frederik Hendrikplein 34, the owner had the turret demolished to enable the construction of the roof extension. On June 14th, the municipality rejected our objection. In July 2021, BAS instituted a court appeal against the granting of a permit for a roof extension. Vrienden van Den Haag (Friends of The Hague) and SOS Den Haag also filed a joint appeal.
Court appeal ruling expected in 2026
Both appeals were heard by the Rotterdam District Court on September 22nd, 2025. An interim judgment dated October 30 ruled that the permitting authority, the municipality, had insufficiently clarified why the building plan fits within the nationally protected cityscape and that it would not affect the original valuable character of the building or ensemble. Furthermore, there was no evidence that the aesthetic committee considered whether the building plan fits within the broader surroundings that form part of the protected cityscape. The municipality of The Hague was given the opportunity to rectify the identified deficiency, and it took advantage of this opportunity by submitting supplementary reasons to the court in December. BAS, Vrienden van Den Haag and SOS Den Haag responded critically to this. The ruling in this case is expected in 2026.