Brussels lacks outdoor public bathing spots, so the Region believed the announcement to create a natural swimming pond would be welcomed with open arms. However, both citizens and the Anderlecht commune have criticised the plans.
Brussels Environment Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) announced at the start of this year that residents of the Region would have a new place to swim from 2026, specifically in part of the existing Central Pond on the Neerpede site. As part of the project to give Neerpede a facelift, various recreational and agricultural activities will be organised at the vast green site spanning 400 hectares, including the development of a 40-hectare waterfront park. Swimmers will be able to book slots during the summer period (from May to September).
Works for the pond are expected to start next year. However, the plans were quickly met with opposition from locals who grouped under the name 'Sauvegardons Neerpede' ('Let's save Neerpede'). The committee garnered public support against the project, including through a petition addressed to Maron which has been signed by more than 8,000 people.
While Maron said the bathing spot would only allow a maximum of 225 bathers daily during the high season, the group argued that the pool would attract too many people, noise and destruction. "We are concerned about the future of this beautiful site, which is so rich in biodiversity and so peaceful. We do not want this natural site to become a recreational area that is harmful to the fauna, flora and peace of mind."
Up in the air
The Anderlecht commune is also openly criticising the project. Mayor of Anderlecht Fabrice Cumps (PS) told several local media he will call on the council to appeal against the plans, stating that that is a lack of clarity about the management of the future swimming pond. The council had 30 days in which to appeal following the granting of the permit by urban.brussels for the development of the pond (until 26 March).
Anderlecht previously criticised the plans to transform the middle pond into a natural swimming pond in April 2023, due to the number of swimmers and people around the pond (1,200). Now, another concern is traffic congestion, as Neerpede is at the far end of Anderlecht and is poorly accessible by public transport.
Illustration image of the plans for the park. Credit: Brussels Environment
Brussels Environment, which is overseeing the project, has noted that swimming will be restricted through a single, controlled access to the swimming pond and that activities in the water will be supervised. However, the exact operating conditions of the bathing area will only be specified in the environmental permit, which has not yet been delivered.
Anderlecht Councillor for public spaces Alan Neuzy (Ecolo) told La Dernière Heure that this means the commune still has no guarantee that it will have sufficient resources to manage all the nuisances that a swimming pond and the associated visitor numbers can bring, such as cleanliness, safety and mobility. Cumps said discussions with Brussels Environment to clarify these matters are going nowhere. He, meanwhile, would like the project to be reviewed and the bathing pond removed.
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In response to the criticism, Maron stressed that the Region's residents are "desperate" for quality green spaces. "Brussels lacks areas where people can bathe in the open air, as was possible 50 years ago. The creation of a natural swimming pond in the park will offer people a unique experience of swimming and relaxing in a setting of enhanced biodiversity," he told The Brussels Times.
"Neerpede is a precious natural area, but it is currently facing a number of problems in terms of environmental management, mobility and safety. The ecological redevelopment of these two ponds, and the partial opening of one of them to bathing under strictly controlled conditions, would provide an opportunity for a partnership between the Region and the commune to resolve the current problems and improve the area as a whole."
As the work is also not scheduled to be completed for several years, the commune and the government have plenty of time to reach agreement on how to manage and supervise the activity, he added.
The town planning committee will issue an opinion on the case and the Brussels government will then have to reevaluate the next steps based on this. The opening of the swimming pond is still scheduled for 2026.
