Antwerp to redevelop Sint-Anneke Beach

The City of Antwerp is drawing up a spatial implementation plan (RUP, from ‘ruimtelijk uitvoeringsplan‘) for St. Anne’s Beach on Antwerp‘s Left Bank (Linkeroever) of the Scheldt.

The design procedure, which was temporarily interrupted in the summer of 2021, is now resuming. The plan will form the basis for reviving the area, with more legal certainty and opportunities for the catering industry and the marina. There will also be extra space for greenery. The municipal executive decided to resume the RUP and will submit the draft RUP to the municipal council for approval this spring.

St. Anne’s Beach, officially Sint-Annastrand in Dutch but universally known in Antwerp as Sint-Anneke or Sint-Anneke Plage, has all the elements to once again become the bustling recreational heart of Antwerp’s Left Bank, the city government says in a press release. Tranquility, open space with plenty of water, catering, a marina and greenery.

And all this close to the Right Bank. In order to be able to play these assets even better, a number of zoning changes are necessary. For example, according to the regulations of the regional plan, the catering industry is actually outside the zone. The preparation of a spatial implementation plan (RUP) for the area creates legal certainty and more options.

Alderman for Urban Development Annick De Ridder (N-VA): “We want to restore the beach on Sint-Anneke to its former glory. With this RUP we are committed to a better quality of stay for the entire zone and we also provide much-needed legal certainty to the local catering establishments. They are now given the opportunity to carry out renovation and expansion works. The marinas and the swimming pool will also benefit from this. In short: with lots of green open space, water and recreation, Sint-Anneke will once again become a pearl!”

Legal basis for the future

In 2016, the ‘Sint-Anneke Plage Master Plan‘ was approved. It describes the future vision for the area. This RUP replaces the regional plan at this location, thus providing a legal basis for the future vision from the Master Plan. What is permitted is described for each zone. For example, the provisions for the zone for nature are aligned with the habitat guidelines for the European protected Scheldt nature reserve. The open space will have two zones for greenery, which will create more continuity, and small-scale accommodation will also be possible, for example.

The draft RUP determines specific guidelines per zone in order to guarantee overall quality. For example, in some zones a design study will always be required when applying for a permit. This demonstrates that the project to be licensed is qualitatively integrated into the environment. By improving the landscape and residential quality of Sint-Anneke Plage in this way and offering new opportunities, the area can once again become a real attraction.

Next steps

If everything goes according to plan, the RUP will be provisionally adopted by the city council before the summer. This is followed by a public inquiry, in which everyone can give their opinion. These comments will be taken into account when drawing up the final RUP, which is expected to be definitively adopted by the city council in the autumn of 2023. Some time later, the plan is published in the Belgian Official Gazette (Belgisch Staatsblad or Moniteur Belge); from then on it applies as a permit framework.

St. Anne’s Beach

St. Anne’s Beach to the former village of Sint-Anneke, when the beach was a popular attraction with many of the locals. They would typically come here by ferry to enjoy the famous dish of mussels of Sint-Anneke.

Even today, you can still sample the mussels in one of its many restaurants.

In addition to the city beach along the river Scheldt, the area also boasts the outdoor swimming pool De Molen, a mini golf course, a campsite, a marina, various play areas and the Sint-Anneke Woods.

Sint-Anneke is on Antwerp’s left bank, along the promenade. From the Right Bank, Saint Anna can be reached easily by bike or on foot through the pedestrian tunnel. Alternatively, you can take the bus (36) or tram (3, 5, 9 or 15 – stop at Premetrostation Van Eeden).

No swimming

Even though it is very tempting, there is strictly no swimming in the river Scheldt due to the shipping, tides and strong currents, which make it very dangerous.

Photos by Thanh.