COCOON was presented in an oral presentation at the specific session on the redevelopment of landfills during a seminar of the brownfield foundation in Ghent (Belgium) on March 28, 2018.
Brownfield foundation is an organisation in Flanders that promotes the exchange of knowledge and experience on the redevelopment of brownfield sites. On March 28 2018, this foundation organised a seminar on the new tendencies in spatial planning/regulations and its impact and relevance on brownfield projects.
During the afternoon, a specific session on landfills was scheduled and more than 30 participants were registered. A recent call for brownfield projects by the Flemish government (Belgian official journal of March 8, 2018) sets also a focus on the sustainable reclamation of former landfill sites by using the concept of brownfield covenants.
The brownfield covenant act (March 22, 2007) offers developers the opportunity to sign a contract with the government of Flanders and other private and public stakeholders containing mutual commitments to the realisation of a brownfield project. This contract is the result of a process for gaining the (public) support and the cooperation of all the stakeholders involved. Once the contract is concluded, a steering committee monitors the redevelopment of the site. To facilitate the entire process, a brownfield covenant negotiator supports the parties. This is an expert appointed by the government of Flanders.
During this session, our COCOON-member Eddy Wille (accredited brownfield negotiator) gave an overview on the multiple aspects of landfill management and mining with regard to the redevelopment potential of those sites. He presented and emphasises also the role of the on-going Interreg Europe project COCOON in order to promote a sustainable long term solution for landfills.
