Local public decries demolition plans for Swedish homes

MIDDELHARNIS – The decision by a local housing corporation to demolish sixteen houses originally donated by Swedish donors following the disastrous February 1, 1953 Flood, has created quite a stir among the local public. Officials of the housing corporation, which owns these dwellings, were chastised for failing to consult the donors, and say that the nearly 60-year old wooden-frame homes are at the end of their lifespan. Demolition opponents would like to see the characteristic Swedish homes restored as a reminder of the donor’s generosity during a trying time for the former coastal island of Goeree-Overflakkee. The flood extracted a heavy toll of the south-western Dutch coastal region: over 1,800 people lost their lives, many thousands of animals drowned and there was huge economic damage. The flood resulted in an ambitious coastal protection plan called the Delta Works.