Beekdaelen

Beekdaelen
Baekdale
Municipality
Old farmhouse in Arensgenhout
Old farmhouse in Arensgenhout
Flag of Beekdaelen
Flag
Coat of arms of Beekdaelen
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Beekdaelen in a municipal map of Limburg
Location in Limburg
Coordinates: 50°55′N 5°53′E / 50.917°N 5.883°E / 50.917; 5.883
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceLimburg
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorEric Geurts (PvdA)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
6155, 6174, 6365, 6436-6439
Area code045, 046
Websitewww.beekdaelen.nl

Beekdaelen (Dutch: [beːɡˈdaːlə(n)] ⓘ; Limburgish: Baekdale [bɛːɡˈdaːlə])[tone?] is a municipality in the province of Limburg, situated in the southern Netherlands. It was formed in 2019 as a merger of Nuth, Onderbanken and Schinnen.

Beekdaelen has 35,853 inhabitants. The village of Nuth is the biggest population centre in the municipality with 6,520 inhabitants. The other fourteen villages in the municipality are Amstenrade (2,670 inhabitants), Bingelrade (796 inhabitants), Doenrade (1,122 inhabitants), Hulsberg (3,954 inhabitants), Jabeek (752 inhabitants), Merkelbeek (1,564 inhabitants), Oirsbeek (3,733 inhabitants), Puth (2,004 inhabitants), Schimmert (3,236 inhabitants), Schinnen (2,692 inhabitants), Schinveld (4,629 inhabitants), Sweikhuizen (690 inhabitants), and Wijnandsrade (1,631 inhabitants). The other population centres belong to one of these villages.

Politics

The local government is the municipality of Beekdaelen in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. Beekdaelen has been its own municipality since a merger of the old municipalities of Nuth, Onderbanken, and Schinnen in January 2019. The municipality covers fifteen villages, the town hall is currently located in the village of Nuth. The first municipal election in Beekdaelen was in 2018.

Results of the elections of 2018, 2022 and 2026:

City council seats
Party201820222026
Vernieuwingsgroep678
Beekdaelen Lokaal564
CDA754
GreenLeft23*
GreenLeft/PvdA233
VVD324
D66111
PvdA11*
VitaalBeekdaelen000
BBB001
Total seats252525

Municipal government 2018–2022

Following the 2018 municipal elections a coalition was formed consisting of CDA (Christian democratic), Vernieuwingsgroep (translation: Renewal Group, a local party), GroenLinks (green left), and PvdA (labour). In total 8 parties took part in the election, with 7 parties obtaining at least one seat.

In September 2021, Leon Rijkx (a councillor from CDA) left his party. He cited "the problematic culture within the local department of CDA". He joined the Vernieuwingsgroep and took his council seat with him, this increased the seat total of the Vernieuwingsgroep to 7 and decreased the seat total of CDA to 6, making the Vernieuwingsgroep the biggest party in terms of seat total.

Municipal executives
NamePortfolioParty
Eric GeurtsMayor of Beekdaelen
General Affairs, Safety, Integrity, Legal Affairs, & Communications
PvdA
Jan HermansSpatial Development, Public Space, Housing, & Traffic and TransportVernieuwingsgroep
Jeannette Quadvlieg-van DamWellbeing, Loneliness, Aircraft Noise Disturbance, Water and Sewage,
Civic Integration, & Social Affairs		Vernieuwingsgroep
Jos TimmermansEnergy Transition, Business Terrain, Entrepreneurs, & CoordinationCDA
Peter JanssenFinance, Youth Care, & EducationCDA
John EssersSport and Associations, Arts and Culture,
Quality of Life Initiatives, Health Care		GL and PvdA

Municipal government 2022–present

Following the 2022 municipal elections a coalition was formed consisting of Vernieuwingsgroep (translation: Renewal Group, a local party), Beekdaelen Lokaal (translation: Beekdaelen Local, a local party), and CDA (Christian democratic). In total 7 parties took part in the election, with all parties obtaining at least one seat.

Leon Rijkx and Ton Kollée left Vernieuwingsgroep over disagreements with the party and the coalition on the location for the new town hall, leaving Vernieuwingsgroep with 5 seats. They currently sit on the municipal council as "Fractie Rijkx - Kollée".

Municipal executives
NamePortfolioParty
Eric GeurtsMayor of Beekdaelen
Safety & Internal Affairs
PvdA
Henk ReijndersHousing, Economy & EnvironmentBeekdaelen Lokaal
Jan HermansPublic Works & Energy TransitionVernieuwingsgroep
Peter JanssenFinance, Youth Care, & EducationCDA
Levin de KosterSport, Culture & HealthVernieuwingsgroep

Topography

Map of the municipality of Beekdaelen, November 2018

Notable people

Nadja Wijenberg, 2008

Sport

References

  1. ↑ "Samenstelling college" [Board members] (in Dutch). Gemeente Beekdaelen. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "Gemeenteraad Beekdaelen beëdigd in gemeentehuis Nuth" [Town council of Beekdaelen sworn in at Nuth municipality office] (in Dutch). 1Limburg. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  3. ↑ "Verkiezingsuitslagen voor de gemeente Beekdaelen (update 2022!)". AlleCijfers.nl. March 16, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Beekdaelen municipal election 2026". verkiezingsuitslagen.nl (in Dutch). 18 March 2026. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "Raadslid Beekdaelen stapt uit CDA vanwege omgangsvormen". 1Limburg | Nieuws en sport uit Limburg (in Dutch). September 18, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Eric Geurts". Beekdaelen.
  7. ↑ "Jan Hermans". Beekdaelen.
  8. ↑ "Jeannette Quadvlieg-van Dam". Beekdaelen.
  9. ↑ "Jos Timmermans". Beekdaelen.
  10. ↑ "Peter Janssen". Beekdaelen.
  11. ↑ "John Essers". Beekdaelen.
  12. ↑ Claessens, Geertjan (March 7, 2023). "Twee raadsleden stappen uit Vernieuwingsgroep vanwege discussie over gemeentehuis Beekdaelen". De Limburger (in Dutch).
  13. ↑ "Municipal Executives". Beekdaelen. Retrieved 2 October 2022.