Are you looking to start a business or invest in the port on the left bank of the Scheldt? If so, please contact us at info@mlso.be so we can give you a clear picture about developments at the port on the left bank of the Scheldt and potential investment opportunities.
Whenever Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever (MLSO) wishes to develop one or more plots of land, it organises a consultation. Prospective concessionaires must submit their application within a certain period. Once the deadline for submission has passed, the various applications received are evaluated and ranked in the award report, based on the specified criteria specified in the consultation. The Executive Board of MLSO then makes a decision based on the award report. The decision is shared with the prospective concessionaires.
Negotiations are then commenced with the prospective concessionaires whose applications were approved by the Executive Board, with the intention of entering into the final concessionaire agreement. Even once that process has been completed, we continue monitoring the various concessions.
What is the best way to prepare your application?
Prospective concessionaires wishing to submit a project file as part of a consultation are advised to take several administrative steps into account that must take place before the concession is actually awarded. To provide prospective concessionaires with a basic guideline, the various steps that must be followed during the process are listed below. The list contains the most important steps, but is by no means complete due to the differences between individual projects.
Prospective concessionaires should notify the municipality in which the plot of land involved is located and ask whether other approvals or notifications are required.
Feasibility test for the project
Before submitting a project file as part of an application, it is preferable that the prospective concessionaire verify its feasibility with the various authorities that are required to formulate a recommendation or issue an approval and/or grant permission. A feasibility test of this type provides a good estimate of the project’s subsequent chance of success and makes it possible for changes to be made at an early stage so that the best possible project file can be submitted.
Please note: this concerns the initial recommendation in advance, and is therefore an estimate. It does not replace the final formal recommendation or the official approval/permission.
Non-exhaustive list of project components to be checked in advance:
conditions for obtaining the environmental permit. Depending on the class in which your project is included, either the municipality or the province must process your application. You can find all the information about the environmental permit on the website of the Environment and Spatial Planning Desk (Omgevingsloket Vlaanderen);
check the financial feasibility of the project proposal with the bank and/or financier;
architectural check: have the project idea checked in advance by an architect of your choice, Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever (MLSO) and the government authority (municipality or province) handling the environmental permit. At MLSO, you can make an appointment for this via info@mlso.be or by calling +32 (0)3 766 41 89;
mobility: when preparing your dossier, consider the internal mobility arrangements. Not only access to your project from the public road is important, but also internal access to the different parts of the project itself. Make sure there is sufficient buffering for incoming traffic within the site itself and factor in the (possibly significant) growth of your project in the future.
You may need to involve one or more external parties in order to finance your project. Take into account that if you wish to obtain financing from an external party, in which the buildings to be constructed will form collateral (under a mortgage) or become the property of a third party (leasing), you must obtain prior approval from MLSO. You can send your approval request either directly to the contact person responsible for your file by email to info@mlso.be, or by letter to Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever. We undertake to respond to your request no later than one month after receipt.
An application for planning permission is only required for construction work in the Waasland Logistics Park.
This involves a consultation between MLSO, the future owner, and the government licensing authority. The actual plans are discussed, before the final application for an integrated environmental permit is submitted to the Environment and Spatial Planning Desk. This consultation, in which any adjustment of the plans can be requested before applying for the environmental permit, ensures that we can successfully issue the integrated environmental permit without having to unnecessarily extend the lead time.
The future owner takes the initiative to make this happen. A completely new concession or an expansion of an existing concession can be requested after MLSO has approved the assignment or expansion. We ask that such consultation be arranged even when it only involves a change to an existing concession. You can request this consultation directly via the contact person within MLSO responsible for that particular concession file, by email via info@mlso.be, or by letter addressed to Maatschappij Linkerscheldeoever.
