GORINCHEM – The monument containing the column base of the Court of Arkel illegal construction has taken place at the Gorcumse V&D.
De municipality of Gorinchem – owner and builder of the memorial – forgot to apply for the necessary building permit. Alderman H. van Santen was supposed to unveil the monument in a festive manner yesterday, but at the last minute the municipality discovered that it had started building illegally itself. Because the entire city centre has the status of a protected cityscape, a permit must first be applied for for all constructions. Even for the placement of, for example, benches and litter bins.
The monument consists of a base of a column that was most likely part of the Hof van Arkel, a luxurious city house with outbuildings. The noble family had the say in Gorinchem and the surrounding area in the fourteenth century. On top of the base - which was found during the archaeological excavations that preceded the construction of V&D - a column was built with monastery bricks that were also found on the construction site.
The lack of a permit is not a reason to demolish the illegal monument down to the last stone. According to a spokesperson for the municipality, work is being done in a hurry on a building permit. This only needs to be assessed by the aesthetic committee, after which the memorial column can be legalized.
December 12, 2003
The Dordrecht resident