Initiative launched: plans for the town hall unveiled
In the heart of Neuss, Germany, a series of measures have been proposed and implemented to enhance safety and aesthetics in the city hall area. The initiatives, spearheaded by both the CDU and SPD, aim to address concerns raised by local residents and businesses.
The green strip between the parking lot and the Dorint Hotel will witness more frequent pruning, with existing trees being pruned back to a height of approximately 2.5 meters. This pruning is intended to make the area less attractive as a drug consumption site. The city administration is committed to this approach, as public drug consumption has no place in the city, according to Rolf Retzlaff, implied by Sven Schumann.
Both the Dorint Hotel and Neuss Marketing, operators of the city hall, have criticized the current conditions on the parking lot, citing loss of revenue. To address this, the city administration plans to significantly expand the existing prevention and counseling offers, with the drug counseling center to be relocated due to the construction of a new residential quarter on Augustinusstraße.
SPD faction leader Sascha Karbowiak explained that the goal is to improve the situation for residents. In line with this, the no longer used toilet facility and the old waiting hall at the city hall will be removed and the area modernized with better sightlines. Better lighting in the area around the city hall is also intended to shed light on the drug scene.
Initial successes have been reported with these measures, as the current situation on the city hall parking lot has improved significantly. A drug consumption room and additional deployment times for mobile drug counseling are being advocated for, while the police station is expected to control the area more intensively in the evenings and at night.
The Landesgartschau, scheduled for 2026, will bring about further improvements to the city hall area, including the redesign of city hall bus stops. The first short-term measure is the installation of an opaque fence in the green area behind the drug counseling center, which aims to allow the police to more effectively enforce order on the city hall parking lot.
The CDU and SPD have submitted applications related to these measures, and the competent Rhein-Kreis Neuss will be responsible for crime prevention and healthcare. The Main and Security Committee presented a comprehensive package of short- and long-term measures, reflecting the commitment of both parties to improve the situation around the city hall. The CDU parliamentary group chairman, Sven Schumann, emphasizes the commitment of the Christian Democrats to this cause.
These initiatives underscore the city's determination to create a safer, more welcoming environment for its residents and visitors. The transformation of the city hall area is set to bring about a significant improvement in the quality of life for the people of Neuss.
- To further address the concerns raised by the public and enhance the general news image of Neuss, the CDU and SPD have proposed a policy-and-legislation-related initiative that includes the creation of a drug consumption room and extended mobile drug counseling deployment times.
- As the city administration works towards policies aimed at improving the city hall area, the other key players such as the Dorint Hotel and Neuss Marketing have voiced their opinions on the current conditions on the parking lot, calling for improvements to address their revenue losses.
