Business in the neighbourhood

Your shop keeps the neighbourhood alive, but rules often get in the way. SAB wants less red tape and faster permits for small businesses. With a council that thinks along with you.

What is going on

The corner shop, the hairdresser, the baker and the café keep a Maastricht neighbourhood alive. When the last local supermarket closes, shopping becomes a journey for older residents. Meanwhile small businesses get stuck in rules designed for large companies: a terrace permit that takes months, a renovation application that lingers between departments, and nobody at the city who thinks along.

The result is that business owners spend their energy on paperwork instead of on their business, and that shop premises in the neighbourhood stay empty.

A city that thinks along pays off for the neighbourhood straight away: a terrace that opens in spring instead of autumn, a shop that does not stand empty for six months, a business owner who puts energy into customers. That costs the city no money, only a different way of working.

What SAB wants

• One fixed contact at the city for small businesses, who follows the application from start to finish.
• A fixed, short turnaround for simple permits such as a terrace or a shopfront change.
• Empty shop premises in the neighbourhoods made available faster for starters and community initiatives.
• Rules tested first on what they mean for a one-person business, not only for a chain.

What you can do now

Is your application stuck at the city? Tell citizen councillor Paul van de Kandelaar, SAB’s contact for local businesses, or use the help desk. We chase it up and take it to the council if it keeps happening.