Valkenburg aan de Geul will check all monuments accessible to the public every two years. The Municipality is Doing This After The Collapse of the Wilhelmina Tower Last March. Defects were already Identified in The Building During Inspections in 2014.
That is confirmed by a spokesperson for the muticipality to nu.nl after reporting by hilly today . Municipalities are responsible for the supervision of monuments in their area, so that is why the decision was made.
Mayor Daan Prevoo Tells The Local Medium That the Collapse of the Wilhelmina Tower Has Ensured “That We Generally Better Realize What Supervision Should Entail.” From 2026, a Safety Check Will Therefore Be Mandatory Every Two Years for Monuments Where the Public is Allowed. It is still unclear what that check will look like and who will carry it out and pay for it.
On Friday, Research by Heuvelland Today and the Limburger Showed that Municipal Inspectors Already Found defects in The Wilhelmina Tower in 2014. Accordance to Them, Those Defects Could to a Dangerous Situation. Althegh the Municipality Threateed Measures if the owners did not repair this within a months, repair failed to materialize and no further action was tasks by the Municipality.
The 30-meter-High Watchtower from 1906 Collapsed on the Morning of March 16. The Tower in Valkenburg, Limburg, was closed to visitors at that time. It is Still Uncleear Exactly What Caaased The Tower To Collapse. Concrete rot and an unstable soil have leg ruled out.