Last part of former sugar factory site in Puttershoek sold
Last December, the final section of the site in Puttershoek was handed over to the Belgian buyer, AG Insurance. This marks the end of the extensive efforts undertaken by both the Cosun Beet Company and Cosun to redevelop and sell the former site of the sugar factory in Puttershoek.
New zoning plan
The sugar factory closed its doors at the end of 2004. Since then, a new zoning plan has been drawn up to enable a feasible and sustainable redevelopment into an industrial estate with harbour basin. Various usage plans have been changed repeatedly, a new access road has been construed and planned, the last aboveground and entire belowground remainders of the sugar factory have been demolished, contamination cleaned up where necessary and the Cosun Solar Park has been built.
Initially, there was resistance from politicians, government authorities and neighbouring residents, but agreement was ultimately reached on the zoning plan for the redevelopment of the site. AG Insurance will now be developing the site together with Heylen Warehouses, another Belgian company. The development project has been named SHIPP21 (www.shipp21.com).
The Cosun Beet Company will, of course, continue to maintain a presence in Puttershoek with its speciality factory, silos and distribution centre. The electricity consumption of the speciality factory has been made fully sustainable with solar energy originating from the Cosun Solar Park. In the future, lorries will also be using the new access road, once completed and made publicly available.
The Municipality of Hoeksche Waard intends to take over the property that is home to the nature reserve with Scottish Highlanders and the Lindtse Poldertje in order to continue the conservation and landscape management of the area.