New owners find extensive damage at holiday park in Valkenswaard

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The new owners of Bruges Heide in Valkenswaard said they were shocked by the condition of the holiday park after buying it for more than €3.1 million at a forced auction without a viewing day. They found chalets with mold, rotten floors, collapsed ceilings and holes, while other units had been broken into and stripped of or damaged furnishings. Peter Gillis, the previous owner, said the park had stood empty for three years and that some specific chalets had been vacant for five years after being used by migrant workers. He said the buyers knew the chalets were incomplete and that he had left the property in good order when it was handed over.

The new owners initially expected to repair some of the chalets and open the park within two to three years. They now estimate that half are suitable for demolition and that the other half cannot be used as intended and will be sold. They still plan to develop the site under the name Valkenrijk, but must first apply for permits and undergo a Bibob investigation by the municipality, which is also assessing their reliability.

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Business & Finance

Sale of Brugse Heide holiday park in Valkenswaard

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Entrepreneurs Patrick Coppens of Reusel and Arjan Willems of Valkenswaard bought the Brugse Heide holiday park in Valkenswaard from Peter Gillis through their property company AP Valkenswaard for more than €3.1 million. The transfer was due to take place on Thursday, ending Gillis’s ownership of the park. The buyers plan to rename the park Valkenrijk and modernise it, including work on parking, hospitality facilities, chalets and paving. They aim to reopen the campsite next year, although not all planned work will be completed by then. The municipality says new permits are required before the park can reopen and that its designated use is for holiday guests, not long-term accommodation for asylum seekers or migrant workers.

Transport & Travel

Five developments in Brabant and Croatia

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Peter Gillis was reported to be planning nine holiday parks in Croatia, including several with private beaches, although private beaches have been banned there since 2023. His plans also reportedly include 110 cabins at a site where zoning permits 10 mobile homes. Prinsenmeer no longer belongs to Gillis after a forced auction earlier this month; he reportedly still owns six of his nine Dutch parks, including Cranendonck Castle in Soerendonk. That park is closed, with two employees maintaining it, while enforcement and police check for illegal stays. Amphia Hospital in Breda is introducing wheel clamps for incorrectly parked staff vehicles from 1 November. Employees who violate the rules three times can be banned from parking for a week, while persistent offenders may lose their parking rights permanently. Zoë, 22, from Rosmalen reportedly obtained her pilot’s licence before her driving licence and flew with KLM passengers at age 20. Eindhoven is the only large Brabant municipality planning a central fireworks display for the coming year; Helmond is planning a light show, and Tilburg a limited fireworks display, while other municipalities are not organising central shows.