But the fitness room, changing rooms, offices, theater and swimming pool also suffered extensive damage from the fire. No fewer than 30 organizations, associations and schools used De Schelft extensively or with some regularity and were all severely affected by the fire.
Since then, BON has kept you informed with many news items about: ‘After the devastating fire at De Schelft. What now?’… Also read the 149 previous messages here on BON.
26-01-2026 > De Schelft (150): BKN response to the first sketch of the De Schelft sports hall.
You have previously read here on BON about the CDA faction that is asking questions to the council regarding the presented first sketches for the new De Schelft sports hall in Noordwijkerhout. Several sports clubs and the Noordwijk Sports Council have indicated that the hall becomes too small and does not meet the requirements and needs of users.
The BadmintonKlub Noordwijkerhout (BKN) also agrees with this and has sent the response letter below to the municipal council.
Submitted letter BKN – Nieuwe Schelft: design for sport, occupation and audience.
Dear members of the city council,
You will soon make decisions about the plans for the new sports hall in Noordwijk. I would like to draw your attention to an essential point that is insufficiently guaranteed in the current plans: sufficient space for badminton, and specifically at least nine, preferably twelve, due to the strong membership growth of the last 2 years and the possibility of organizing tournaments, including the well-known New Age tournament for the Dune and Bulb Region, full-fledged badminton courts that can be compartmentalized in multiples of 3 or 4, in combination with a stand.
For 9 fields with 2 folding walls, a minimum surface area of 49 meters 20 (3 x 13.40 + 6 x 1.50) by 24 meters 30 (3 x 6.10 + 4 x 1.50) is required, where a design has now been made of 44 meters 20 by 24 meters. When accessing from changing rooms and/or open hall, an additional 1 meter must be available for the exit.
By including folding walls, a room can be used at several times by several associations at the same time, so that the occupancy rate can be increased and problems with ODI and, such as in the winter, with youth from BKN and Northa can be prevented.
This will benefit the occupancy rate. Additional construction costs to increase the size of the hall by 2 meters are estimated by a renowned Leiden architectural firm at more than 50,000 euros.
Badminton is one of the largest indoor sports in the Netherlands and, unlike many other indoor sports, has strict technical requirements. According to the guidelines of the National Institute for Sports Accommodation Advice (NISAV) and Badminton Netherlands, not only the field dimensions have been determined, but also the free range, free ceiling height of at least 7 meters, and obstacle-free zones.
Without these conditions, a sports hall is in practice unsuitable for training, competition and tournaments. That is precisely why the number of fields is so important. A sports hall with fewer than nine full-fledged badminton courts inevitably leads to structural capacity problems on training evenings, making competition matches impossible according to association rules and clubs having to move to other sports halls. In addition, a grandstand is not a luxury, but a functional part of a modern sports hall. A grandstand:
• enables league matches, tournaments and play-offs;
• increases the involvement of parents, supporters and volunteers;
• supports multifunctional use for other sports such as handball, basketball, indoor football and indoor hockey;
• increases the attractiveness of Noordwijk as a host municipality for regional events.
It is often thought that extra facilities such as a grandstand come at the expense of a sports floor. In reality, a well-designed stand, for example above the changing rooms, makes the sports hall more versatile without losing structural floor space.
A sports hall that is designed with sufficient dimensions for badminton is also ideal for other indoor team sports such as basketball, indoor football and indoor hockey. By including these sports and a grandstand in the design from the start, an accommodation is created with a higher occupancy rate, more public use and a better social return on the investment.
NISAV emphasizes that when constructing new sports facilities, future-proof and sustainable use must be chosen, not minimal solutions. After all, a new Schelft sports hall is built for 40 years. Design choices left out now will be costly or impossible to fix later.
Noordwijk rightly invests in health, vitality and a strong community life. This policy requires sports facilities that offer space for athletes and the public. Badminton, together with handball, basketball, indoor football and indoor hockey, can play an important role in this, provided the sports hall is equipped for this.
I therefore call on you to record in your decision-making that the new sports hall:
* offers space for at least nine full-fledged badminton courts in accordance with NISAV guidelines;
* is designed for multifunctional use by multiple indoor sports;
* has a grandstand.
This is the only way to create a sports hall that not only functions, but also lives.
Yours sincerely,
Chairman BKN
