World
February 12, 2025 06:00
teylingen - The municipality of Teylingen makes errors in the auction of five farmlands and decides to redo the entire procedure.
Municipality of Teylingen Announces Re-auction of Farmlands
The municipality of Teylingen has admitted to making mistakes during the auction of five farmlands, leading to a decision to restart the entire process. The errors primarily stem from a lack of transparency in the evaluation criteria provided to bidders before the bidding process.
Prior to the bidding, the municipality failed to disclose the specific criteria upon which new lessees would be judged. This lack of clarity prevented bidders from accurately assessing how the conditions would weigh against the proposed lease price. Furthermore, the initial decision on the provisional award, sent on January 28 of this year, did not sufficiently explain how the criteria were applied in evaluating the bids.
Following additional legal advice from an external party, the municipality concluded that the procedure did not comply with the regulations stemming from the 2021 Didam ruling. As a result, the municipal council decided on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, to retract the provisional award for all parcels and initiate a new public selection process.
The municipal council expressed regret that the outcome had caused distress and uncertainty among some farmers, leading to social unrest. They emphasized that this was never the intention. The timeline for the new auction has not yet been determined, but interim solutions will be explored with current lessees in the upcoming week.
Heleen Hooij, the responsible councilwoman, will provide an account of the events during a specially convened council meeting and outline the associated repercussions. The news of the re-auction has evoked mixed reactions among farmers, with some like Theo Warmerdam expressing understanding for the decision to restart the process.
Warmerdam highlighted the significance of addressing justified concerns and expressed hope that the re-auction will be conducted correctly this time. The uncertainty surrounding the previous and upcoming auctions has been a rollercoaster of emotions for many farmers.
While some, like Warmerdam, have temporarily secured land usage rights, others, such as Herman van der Heden and Fernand de Willigen, who are involved in the process, are yet to comment on the municipality's decision.