In January, notaries in Andenne received a “code of good conduct” from the city pertaining to the construction of four-sided houses. This policy was already in place for some cases, but it has now been expanded to prohibit the construction of such houses altogether. Exceptions do exist, such as in allotments specifically designated for this purpose or on building land situated along adequately equipped roads, subject to neighboring houses also being four-sided structures. Andenne is one of the first settlements in Wallonia implementing this policy citing various reasons, including the scarcity of building land, ecological, climatic, and economic considerations. However, this policy is not welcomed by some landowners, as building such dwellings was a plan they held for years. The town council feels that the cost of permitting the construction of such houses is heavy on the budget and justifiable only in limited circumstances. The proliferation of four-sided houses causes the soil to become waterlogged and increases flood risks. There are roughly 2,500 four-façade houses in Andenne, which according to the mayor, can fulfill the housing requirements of the residents. The mayor believes that the future expansion of housing in the countryside will be drastically limited due to ecological, as well as local, factors that will make certain areas not buildable. In the future, areas presently undesirable for construction will be highly sought following as demand exceeds supply.
At the end of January, notaries in the region received a “code of good conduct” from the City of Andenne. This note, drawn up by the college and presented to the municipal council on November 21, redefines the policy concerning housing areas in the sector plan.
Which already applied on a case-by-case basis is now cast in this text stipulating that four-sided houses can no longer be erected. Exceptions however: they are authorized within the framework of allotments specifically dedicated to this purpose or on building land located along sufficiently equipped roads, and provided that the neighboring houses are also four-sided dwellings (this is the principle of the hollow tooth).
Andenne is one of the first in Wallonia to apply this policy, which invokes several arguments such as the scarcity of building land and economic, climatic or ecological considerations. But it is indigestible for many landowners. David Remy, notary, manages five client files concerned. “Some kept their land as a thirst quencher to resell it or build a four-sided building on it, for themselves, their children or grandchildren. Now they are told that it is impossible to build. It’s dismay!”
A burden on the budget
The City has defined three categories. “In addition to the “sufficiently equipped roads”, there are the “insufficiently equipped roads” (too narrow, without curbs or drips or trickles of water) where the four facades are no longer allowed. exposes the mayor, Claude Eerdekens. Example: rue Chant d’oiseaus in Landenne, it’s impossible to meet. These are sloping lands with a high risk of flooding. In this case, even if we have sometimes made the mistake of granting permits, it is prohibited.”
Finally, there are the “roads equipped but not sufficiently”. “There, we impose widening of roads, very heavy costs borne by the builder, he continues. Each four-sided house costs the municipal budget €200,000 on average every 20 years for road works. It is enormous !”
He cites the example of rue Eugène Malherbe in Coutisse. “9 years ago, we issued permits for the Malherbe subdivision that we would no longer issue for a dozen houses. It cost the City budget 1.5 million to do the roadwork. It’s unpayable! “
The municipal budget dedicated to roads is approximately €3 million per year. “We already don’t know how to do everything we would like with that. So issue permits in an unconscious and stupid way to the detriment of municipal finances to allow people to make money knowing that it is the Municipality that will pay the new road is no!”, says the mayor. He insists: “We cannot ask the community to pay taxes for people who want to develop private land. Whoever has the means to develop an insufficiently equipped road network, let him do it!”
Increased risk of floods and “frique sores”
According to him, the proliferation of four-sided houses causes the waterproofing of a lot of soil for few dwellings. “With the heavy rainfall, more frequent given global warming, we are creating unsustainable conditions for the buildings below which will be drowned, he analyzes. We have seen this since the floods of July 2021 and June 2022.”
David Remy hears this argument and concedes that a four-sided house has more foundation on the ground. “I can also understand that someone who is building their house is required to avoid tarmac or klinkers and to favor gravel so that the water disperseshe points out. But what concerns me the most in all this is that this code applies as of now for much older situations. Overnight, owners are cut off from the possibility of freely enjoying land acquired years ago.
David Remy also understands the limitation of four-sided houses in the city center but less so in the villages. “There is an interest in rural areas to keep the village side with this type of housing, he believes. They have their place in villages like Seilles, Coutisse, Thon…”
But the mayor does not budge. “Villages will die because of four-sided houses in urban sprawl. This is also called periurbanisation and it is a monstrous attack on the quality of a village! We must redensify the hearts of villages and stop spreading out towards the fields ad infinitum.”
For him, this type of habitat has had its day. “With houses with four facades ad infinitum, we will have frica sores in the countryside who defend an ecological fiber because they are in the countryside but who deny the basic ecology which wants us to stop artificializing the agricultural land even if it is to be built on the sector plan, he adds. This is also what the Walloon Region says: there will be no more housing extension in the countryside in 2050.”
According to him, when there will be almost no more land to build on in 20 to 25 years, areas that are not buildable now will be worth their weight in gold. “Those who buy them will be able to build there by doing work that they can finance because the price of the land will be worth 5 times more than today, he says. They will have such a value that they will not only be able to build but also finance the development costs by the private sector.”
Andenne has regarding 2,500 existing 4-façade houses. “A significant stock that can delight current owners or tenants”, he said. A reflection that makes a good leg for David Remy’s customers. “Some have lodged an appeal with the Walloon Region, the supervisory authority for decisions to refuse permits”he announces.
In conclusion, the City of Andenne’s “code of good conduct” regarding the construction of four-sided houses is causing controversy among landowners and notaries. While the City argues that the policy is necessary due to economic, climatic, and ecological considerations, opponents argue that it restricts their property rights and limits their ability to develop the land they own. However, the mayor of Andenne remains firm in his belief that the proliferation of four-sided houses is unsustainable, and it deprives villages of their unique character. Ultimately, only time will tell whether Andenne’s policy becomes a model for other municipalities in Wallonia or if it will be contested and modified in the years to come.
