Oudenaarde (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Oudenaarde plans a €103 million investment for projects including De Woeker expansion, Meulewal cemetery, a new Ename reception centre, and sports park renovation, all without budget cuts.
As VRT News reported, the city of Oudenaarde, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, will invest €103 million in the coming years to boost development and improve public facilities. Mayor John Adam (Open VLD) said the new multi-year plan outlines 152 projects grouped into 34 action plans.
“Our multi-year plan is ambitious,”
he said.
“We have major projects ahead, including the Woeker XL redevelopment and the renovation of our sports park. A new reception centre will also be built in Ename.”
What will Oudenaarde’s €103M plan under Mayor John Adam change?
According to city officials, the €103 million investment will be made without cutting services or raising taxes. The administration says the budget has been planned carefully so that the city can invest responsibly while maintaining financial stability. The Woeker XL project will give a new purpose to a key city site.
“We have approximately €41 million in outstanding debt, which is less than the average, so we can handle this,”
Officials said.
The city of Oudenaarde has announced that several local fees will increase, including those for night shops and licensed businesses. City officials said the fees had not been updated for many years.
“These hadn’t been indexed for a long time, so it was time to raise those amounts,”
the city administration stated.
During the same announcement, the city council confirmed that it will take out loans in the current term, a move not seen in the previous administration. Mayor John Adam (Open VLD) said the loans will help finance major city projects planned over the coming years. The borrowed funds will be directed toward urban renewal, infrastructure improvements, and cultural developments such as the Woeker XL project and the renovation of the sports park.
“Our debt will therefore gradually increase, but never above average,”
the mayor explains.
“The intention is to reduce the debt again starting in 2030.”
Oudenaarde has undertaken extensive investment plans in the past, but none have compared to the current magnitude of the €103 million plan. The past investment plan, which covered the years 2013 to 2019, was implemented under a previous mayor, Marnic De Meulemeester (Open VLD). During this period, Oudenaarde focused on the redevelopment of the Markt and Meerspoort locations, substantial upgrades to multiple public buildings, bicycle paths and public squares.
An important aspect of the previous program was the restoration of the Scheldt embankment and revitalisation of the city centre, which began in 2016. The current 2025-2030 program, now under Mayor John Adam, is based on previous initiatives but is at an entirely different scale.
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