In the heart of Verviers, the Circus casino is at loggerheads with the town council. The establishment wants to modernise its sign, but a concrete wall that has been in breach of the law for several years is blocking the project. This municipal decision could well become an example for all town planning offences in the town.
A casino under pressure: the sign in question
In the heart of Verviers, the Circus casino on rue de la Station wants to modernise its image by changing the sign on its façade. However, this desire has come up against a persistent problem: a concrete wall, visible from the boulevard, has been in breach of the law for several years. This situation has led the City to make the granting of planning permission conditional on the infringement being rectified.
The imposing and unattractive wall in question does not comply with the planning permission issued in 2015. Malik Ben Achour, alderman for town planning, comments:
“The concrete wall you can see from the boulevard has been in breach for a very long time; it doesn’t comply with the permit granted in 2015. It’s very imposing and really ugly. They must first come up with a solution to resolve this problem, whether it’s revegetating the wall, removing it… Something that also suits the Walloon Region’s delegated official.”
A precedent not to be ignored
This decision could have repercussions beyond the specific case of the Circus casino. In fact, it is part of a wider desire on the part of the City of Verviers to put the house in order with regard to town planning infringements on its territory. Alderman Ben Achour explains:
“We recently drew up a list of the planning offences currently being committed in Verviers. There are many of them, some of which have been going on for a very long time. We really want to put some order back into things, to show that there is no impunity in Verviers. We support investment and the renovation of buildings, but only when it’s done properly, with a permit and in accordance with what the permit stipulates.”
This approach is part of the City of Verviers’ determination not to allow planning violations to continue. This firm stance is aimed at encouraging compliance with standards and improving the city’s urban aesthetic.