Katwijk council backs Eli Lilly factory
There will be no referendum; the municipal executive still has to formally determine the permit.
There is news on this story (Friday, 2 October 2026, 14:03): Katwijk gives green light to Eli Lilly plant
Katwijk municipal council voted on Thursday to approve the arrival of a large Eli Lilly pharmaceutical plant. The council first rejected a referendum request and then issued a final binding opinion on the permit; the municipal executive still has to take a formal decision.
On Thursday evening, the municipal council decided that there would be no referendum on the establishment of Eli Lilly. A majority voted against the request. DURF, SGP, ChristenUnie, D66, PRO and VVD opposed a referendum; CDA, GemeenteBelangen and KiesKatwijk spoke in favour of holding one during the debate.
This cleared the way for the evening’s second decision: the final binding opinion on the permit for the plant. The council approved Eli Lilly’s arrival in the Zijlhoek-De Woerd area, near Valkenburgse Meer. The opinion is binding on the municipal executive in the further granting of the permit.
The referendum committee had earlier established that the request met the formal conditions. At the same time, the committee pointed to a practical problem: a referendum would probably only be possible after the statutory period for the permit had expired. The council therefore had to choose between postponement, with possible legal consequences, and decision-making without a public vote.
According to the municipality, the permit procedure for this outside-plan environmental plan activity expires on 3 October. Because that date falls on a Saturday, the municipal executive had to take a decision by Friday 2 October at the latest. The municipality says this deadline follows from the law and was not caused by the referendum request.
The decision follows months of preparation. On 18 June, the council had already issued a provisional positive opinion. The plans were then made available for inspection and additional studies were carried out into, among other things, the permit application, social consequences, external safety and the area around Valkenburgse Meer.
The debate was therefore not only about the plant itself, but also about how Katwijk should oversee the development. Supporters point to its economic importance and the strengthening of the life sciences sector. Opponents and critical councillors have raised concerns about traffic, water use, the environment, the landscape and oversight, among other issues.
The council’s decision means that the plant’s arrival has received local political approval, but the plant is not yet definitively secured. The municipal executive must formally deal with the permit. After that, additional procedures, conditions and oversight by various authorities and regulators will still be needed for parts of the construction and the business activities.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Katwijk municipal council rejected the referendum request.
- The council issued a positive final binding opinion on the permit for Eli Lilly’s establishment.
- The municipal executive still had to formally decide on the permit.
- The referendum committee had declared the request admissible, but pointed to the tension with the statutory permit deadline.
- The establishment is planned for Zijlhoek-De Woerd near Valkenburgse Meer.
Left
Arguments A referendum would have given residents a direct say over a development with long-term consequences for the landscape, environment, water use and traffic. The fact that the process became constrained by the permit deadline can be seen as a shortcoming in the democratic system.
Values Democratic participation, precaution, the living environment and intergenerational responsibility.
Consequences Without a referendum, the confidence of local residents may decline. This approach will primarily call for strict conditions, independent oversight and room for objections in subsequent permits.
Centre
Arguments The council had to take a legally workable decision within a statutory deadline. The most defensible course was therefore to follow the procedure, combined with transparent conditions, independent oversight and clear evaluation points.
Values Legal certainty, careful balancing of interests, administrative continuity and practicality.
Consequences The plant can proceed if the conditions are met, but the municipality must continue to demonstrably monitor traffic, the environment, safety and liveability.
Right
Arguments An elected municipal council should take decisions on spatial development and must prevent a major investment from being left uncertain for a long time by a late referendum. Economic growth, employment and predictable regulation carry significant weight.
Values Decisiveness, economic development, responsibility of local government and legal certainty for businesses.
Consequences Delay could harm investment and regional employment. At the same time, Eli Lilly must comply with all permit conditions and the authorities must enforce them when necessary.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s central points are confirmed by RTV Katwijk and the municipality’s procedural information. The text clearly distinguishes between the council’s binding opinion and the municipal executive’s formal permit decision.
- confirmed On 1 October 2026, Katwijk municipal council rejected a referendum request concerning Eli Lilly. — RTV Katwijk reports that the council will not hold a referendum and that a majority voted against it. source
- confirmed DURF, SGP, ChristenUnie, D66, PRO and VVD opposed the referendum; CDA, GemeenteBelangen and KiesKatwijk supported it. — This party division is stated in RTV Katwijk’s reporting. source
- confirmed The referendum committee had established that the request met the formal conditions. — The municipality’s referendum procedure describes the positive assessment; earlier reporting states that the request was admissible. source
- confirmed The municipal council issued a final binding opinion on the permit for Eli Lilly. — The municipality’s timeline states that the council would issue a final binding opinion on 1 October; the new development is that this opinion was positive. source
- confirmed The municipal executive then had to formally decide on the permit. — The municipality states that the municipal executive takes the official permit decision after the council’s opinion. source
- confirmed The statutory decision period expired on 3 October 2026 and the municipal executive therefore had to decide by 2 October at the latest. — This is stated in the municipality’s answers to questions about the permit procedure. source
- confirmed The council had already issued a provisional positive opinion on 18 June 2026. — The municipality’s timeline records this earlier step. source
- confirmed The plans were examined for, among other things, external safety and social consequences. — The municipality’s project page mentions independent studies and a social cost-benefit analysis. source
Editor's note
It is certain that the council rejected the referendum request and approved the final binding opinion on Eli Lilly’s arrival. The formal permit decision then still lay with the municipal executive; the exact vote on the binding opinion was not reported in the sources consulted.Sources
- Geen referendum over komst Eli Lilly — RTV Katwijk
- Besluitvorming over nieuwe vestiging Eli Lilly — Gemeente Katwijk
- Gestelde vragen vanuit informatiesessie — Gemeente Katwijk
- Referendum — Gemeente Katwijk
The story so far
- Friday, 2 October 2026, 00:59 Katwijk council backs Eli Lilly factory (this article)
- Friday, 2 October 2026, 14:03 Katwijk gives green light to Eli Lilly plant
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „eli lilly”
- De Telegraaf — „eli lilly”
- AD — „eli lilly”