When entrepreneurs are given the freedom to do business, when innovative ideas are allowed to grow, and when neighbourhood shopping centres are given the opportunity to distinguish themselves from online competitors, Hilversum will become the place to live and work. Stimulating (social) entrepreneurship is an important task for the municipality. Knowing that the local government cannot control the market, entrepreneurs can however be given a hand by the local government. For example, we are thinking of creating places where start-ups and freelancers can get a (work) place, but also of optimal accessibility.

In the coming years, CDA Hilversum will focus on:

  • Stimulating the local economy and local entrepreneurship.
  • Stimulating economic spearheads such as media (creative industry), health care and tourism.
  • Further strengthening Hilversum's position within the MRA and ROM Utrecht.
  • Invest in existing industrial estates such as Hilversum Southwest.
  • Extra attention for the neighbourhood shopping centres such as Gijsbrecht.

 

Local economy

We strive for a strong local economy where SMEs are given the space to really do business, helped and stimulated by a local government that offers the right preconditions for entrepreneurs. In this way, the government can ensure that workplaces are stimulated where self-employed persons and small businesses can meet and develop new ideas. The government contributes by ensuring a good infrastructure so that transport through Hilversum, to get to the workplace or delivery location, does not deter entrepreneurs. For example, the Media Park, the renovated station area and the Arena Park are excellent places where creative entrepreneurs can find each other.­­

Vacant spaces such as retail properties and industrial buildings can also be used to accommodate (starting) entrepreneurs. We believe in the combination of working and living for small entrepreneurs, whereby through the creation of 'hotspots', these entrepreneurs can meet and collaborate on innovative ideas. We also want to stimulate the local economy by investing money locally so that the Hilversum economy can benefit several times over. The Hilversum city fund can stimulate this economic reinforcement by means of project subsidies.

We think it is important that people can live and work in Hilversum. That is why growth in employment is very important so that the growing number of inhabitants also has a chance of finding a job. We see important sectors for employment growth in the media, healthcare and tourism sectors. In our view, Hilversum is primarily a city that is strong in offering creative services. Nevertheless, we also want to emphasise the importance of the manufacturing industry by continuing to invest in current industrial estates such as Hilversum Zuidwest , so that the entrepreneurs who are housed there experience the space to continue doing business in Hilversum as they wish.

We support Hilversum's position within the investment funds MRA and ROM Utrecht and want to further strengthen it where possible. These funds also support initiatives by local entrepreneurs within Hilversum, creating additional employment opportunities. By working together with the Amsterdam and Utrecht regions, the business opportunities in Hilversum, as an attractive location, are enhanced. In recent years, this has already led to exciting new projects within Hilversum.

Media Park

In our vision, the media park can continue developing towards a combination of living, working and creating a Media Academy (university of applied sciences) that creates a unique 'brainport' in the field of modern media. Students find opportunities there for internships and this also offers excellent opportunities for the combination of work and learning. We see that media companies from other cities are increasingly returning to our Media park and the most important players in this sector are housed there.

Combining living and working functions in the Media park also provides a partial solution for the accessibility of the Media park. In addition, Sound and Vision offers an excellent starting point for tourists who are interested in the development of media, past and present. Public transport in Hilversum is excellently equipped for these transport movements to our city. This can also be a good starting point for tourists to explore Hilversum as Mediastad to explore further.

Retail

The centre of Hilversum is and will remain an important shopping area for both Hilversummers and the surrounding municipalities. We want to continue to strengthen this function by offering space to small businesses alongside the well-known large retail chains. It is precisely these small specialist shops that offer a varied and surprising range that keeps the public coming. With a sophisticated range of shops, restaurants and terraces, the centre is also attractive to day-trippers.

In our municipality, we have streets where many of the same businesses (barber shops or fast food outlets) are located. This reduces the quality of shopping areas. We, therefore, want to develop a functional limitation system in consultation with the entrepreneurs. This makes it possible to exclude a new store in the same segment in the event of a one-sided supply of stores (branching). The municipality is taking the lead in this.

Attention is therefore required for the development of the Kerkbrink as a cultural square, the relocation of shops within the former V&D building and the solution of the vacancy in the Gooische Brink. We therefore wholeheartedly support the plan to move the library to the Gooische Brink in order to create more liveliness in the vicinity of the Cultuurplein.

In addition to the centre, we would like to draw attention to the neighbourhood shopping centres. Attention is needed for the Havenstraat (vacancy) and the Gijsbrecht van Amstel area. We are investigating the possibilities of providing more parking facilities at the beginning and the end of the shopping street, for example through docks, so that the space at the shops can be used as much as possible for consumption. More space will also be created for catering facilities and terraces. The parking standard can be adjusted in order to be able to build more houses, provided there is no pressure on the surrounding neighbourhoods. This may mean that with new homes to be built, no parking permit is issued.

By developing supply hubs on the outskirts of the city, the pressure of supplying shopping centres can be spread. We are committed to stimulating supplies in the city with the help of electric transport, which limits noise nuisance and air pollution. The municipality must direct all delivery services to prevent nuisance. Also, think of 'flash deliverers'

CDA Hilversum is in favour of pilot projects to allow money to circulate locally for longer, giving the local economy an extra boost. In this way, we make a quarter of every dime.

We want empty shops, commercial buildings or government buildings to be used to house start-ups and small entrepreneurs. For this, we want to work together with banks and local property owners. We want to see whether a relocation grant for businesses helps to encourage the relocation and concentration of shops.

Business parks

We want our business parks to be easily accessible and safe. Good access to the highway and good public transport connections contribute to future-proofing our business parks.

We want to stimulate good cooperation between companies and invest together with them in a good lobby in the region. This increases the opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses.

We want to focus on restructuring/revitalising existing industrial estates, such as Hilversum Zuidwest. We want the use of existing sites to take precedence over the development of new business sites (including office locations). Regional coordination between municipalities about the size and quality of industrial estates is important in this regard.

There must be room for growth for locally rooted businesses so that the vitality of Hilversum and the rest of the Gooi is preserved.

Digitisation

CDA Hilversum wants the municipality to address local issues in its Smart City project with smart solutions based on new technologies. Think of a robot that collects litter or digital wristbands with which lost children can be found easily. CDA Hilversum also wants to involve locally established companies (SMEs) to come up with solutions.

The broad SME sector is struggling to keep up with economic changes and to cope with growing competition. Digitisation amplifies that effect. CDA Hilversum, therefore, believes it is important that SMEs are encouraged to invest in digitisation so that they can continue to offer their products and services.

The municipality can contribute to this by creating a support offer in the form of, for example, a mobile official who offers support in digital regulatory matters with the municipality.

Freelancers

Self-employed persons have an important position in the labour market. It is important that self-employed persons choose self-employment for the right reasons and that there is actually no question of an employment relationship. The Deregulation of the Assessment of Employment Relations Act (DBA) has not created clarity but has caused unrest that has affected too many genuine independent entrepreneurs.

CDA Hilversum wants to prevent bogus self-employment and other abuses. This not only requires checking legal rules but also removing official and administrative obstacles.

Migrant Workers/Expats

The housing of migrant workers must be humane and safe. This is a responsibility that lies with employers and the temporary employment sector. We actively participate in initiatives to guarantee safety for migrant workers. We will strictly enforce the number of migrant workers in single-family homes.

We are working towards banning housing for migrant workers by accommodation providers. To this end, we want to make housing on the employer's premises possible in a business park.

We want to discuss the development of suitable (temporary) housing with employers and temporary employment agencies. The neighborhood will be informed and consulted at an early stage if there are concrete possibilities.

We ensure that migrant workers are well informed about available language courses, public facilities and important rules that apply in the Netherlands. We set up projects to stimulate contact between labour migrants and local residents.

Learn and work

Many young people find it difficult to find an internship during their education. An internship period is not only important for the further development of skills and competencies, but it is also a condition for graduating or moving on to the next academic year. Many young people experience stress because the supply of government and business is insufficient, in the worst case, they stop their studies for this reason. The result is a student loan and no diploma. Entrepreneurs in turn experience a shortage of (new) trained employees.

We, therefore, want to improve cooperation between regional training centres and the business community to help young people find an internship and to develop training paths for specific employment in the region.

Social internship is not compulsory for schools. CDA Hilversum has ensured that the social internship for teenagers is still implemented in Hilversum. Every year, more than 1,000 students complete a social internship. All these students can contribute to society with their interests and creativity. In turn, this social internship often leads the students to do voluntary work.  As far as CDA Hilversum is concerned, ample budget remains available for this! In this way, we continuously build a society for each other and with each other!

Landelijk/​Provinciaal

De twaalf provinciale afdelingen vormen de schakel tussen de gemeentelijke afdelingen en het landelijke bestuur.