“The local government may not grant a concession to a company in which a municipal council member is involved,” an official stated regarding a beach bar dispute in Blankenberge.
Blankenberge officials are withholding approval for one beach bar concession after an auction on October 22. Nine concessions were originally auctioned for terms lasting until 2035, but only eight will be officially confirmed, according to GVA.
City denies ST01 concession
A company involving a former municipal council member won the disputed site, standplaats ST01. Officials reviewed the files after the bidding process ended, and this review revealed complications for the city. “But during the administrative control of the dossiers after the bidding, it appeared that the administration could not award standplaats 01 without major risks,” an official said to GVA.
The city denied the concession to avoid legal problems. It wants all candidates to participate on an equal footing. The municipality also wants the procedure to be transparent and correct.
“We understand that this situation raises questions and causes uncertainty,” a concessions official told GVA. “But we absolutely want to avoid major legal problems. We find it important that every candidate can participate on an equal footing and that the procedure runs transparently and correctly.”
New bidding begins in 2027
The October 22 auction generated a record revenue of 736,000 euros. This amount exceeded expectations.
The refusal to grant the ST01 concession means the location will be an empty beach in 2027. The city plans a new awarding procedure that year.
A new set of specifications must be approved first. Interested people can then submit new files for the site. This upcoming bid will be for a term of eight years. This will align the expiration dates of all the beach bars.