28.04.2024

Did the burgomaster try to cancel part of Garage Sales 2024, as I. Fouarge in a facebook post of April 28, 2024 on ‘Les Bons plans de Kraainem’?

“when the Bourgmestre attempted to force me to cancel part of the event with a unilateral and unmotivated decision”. ?

Answer: no.

On the contrary, the mayor adapted his ‘burgemeestersbesluit’ to take account of the new situation, wished him a great event and advertised Garage Sales several times during his weekly facebook live. The mayor supports all civic initiatives in the commune, regardless of whether they are organized by citizens or representatives of the majority or opposition.

Correspondence and ‘burgemeesterbesluiten’ can be found below.

Fact checking:

  • On 10/01/2024 a request was made to the Kraainem municipality to organize a ‘dirty garage’. The event is described as opening up private garages to second-hand goods and home-made goods’. A request was also made to close certain streets (e.g. Rue des Bluets where there are few garages), as in previous years.
  • On 13/02/2024 the CBS gives its unanimous approval, therefore incl. the mayor, for this event. In the context of the decision it is written:

“De feiten en context vermelden dat met rommelmarkt wordt bedoeld dat de participanten hun privégarages openstellen om tweedehands en zelfgemaakte goederen te verkopen.”


CBS beslissing 2024-02-13 ‘Het college van burgemeester en schepenen beslist om

toelating te geven aan de aanvrager voor de organisatie van een rommelmarkt op 28

april 2024 van 9 uur tot en met 17 uur in de straten van Kraainem op basis van de

ontvangen evenementenaanvraag.’

  • Start April, a flyer is distributed in the commune by the Garage Sales organizers. The flyer states the Garage Sales, as well as space for a flea market avenue Hébron for citizens of Kraainem or dehors of Kraainem . This has not been the subject of aofficial request to the CBS.
  • The mayor received some reactions from the residents of Avenue Hébron, who were surprised to see that a flea market would take place on their street without warning and without the agreement of the CBS.
  • At the CBS’s of April 16 and April 23, the mayor asked the departments whether the necessary measures had been taken to close the streets for the Garage Sales on April 28. Service response:

“De aanvraag voor de afsluiting van de straten werd niet door de diensten behandeld. Wellicht een vergetelheid. Dit wordt vastgesteld net voor het weekend van het evenement. Aangezien het college van burgemeester en schepenen niet meer tijdig een besluit kan nemen, stellen de diensten voor dat de burgemeester een politiebesluit neemt.”

  • The serpropose that the burgomaster arrêté since it is too late to organize a CBS to take the necessary measures and propose the text following:

25/04/2024 Mobiliteit – Tijdelijk politiereglement – Garage sales 28 april 2024 – Korenbloemenstraat – Hebronlaan – Capucienlaan – J. Adantstraat – Cyclamenstraat

The mayor issues a decree closing the streets concerned concerned and, on the basis of the CBS decision of 13/02/2024, notes that this is a is a Garage Sales and that only residents of closed streets who do not have a garage may use the public highway.

  • The organizer object object. According to she all the inhabitants of Kraainem who do no garage in streets closed must be able to offer their items for sale. The burgomaster shows understanding and adopts a new police bylaw on this subject. on April 26, 2024. And writes in his e-mail to the organizer :