A couple from Waterschei (Genk - Limburg) have to pay two 2,000-euro fines after they paved their garden with breeze blocks without possessing the necessary permit. The couple have now been ordered to restore their garden to its original state. The municipal authorities previously asked the couple to remove the paving, but as they did not comply, they were taken to court.
The Genk authorities want to discourage impermeable surfaces as much as possible in order to avoid flooding and have launched a public awareness campaign. Paving areas larger than 80 square metres now requires a permit from the town hall.
The Genk couple covered a large part of their front, side and back gardens with breeze blocks without seeking permission. They told the authorities they did not realise they needed a permit.
The city authorities ordered the couple to remove part of the paving. As that did not happen, in 2023, the city passed the case on to the Limburg public prosecutor's office. ‘If efforts to make people more aware do not help, we simply have to act,’ mayor Wim Dries says. The couple didn’t even bother to show up in court when their case was heard.
The defendants have now both been fined €2,000. In addition, the judge ordered that their gardens be restored to its previous condition. If the gardens are not returned to their original appearance in a year's time, the couple must pay a penalty of 125 euros per day’s delay.