Future of Sint-Joris Cellebroers kindergarten ensured

The Flemish Community Commission (VGC) has released 250,000 euros to carry out work on the school buildings and playground of the kindergarten Sint-Joris Cellebroers. This ensures the operation of the school, after the collapse of a medieval city wall adjacent to the school site.

At the end of 2018, renovation and expansion work took place in this kindergarten on Cellebroersstraat in Brussels. These works fit in with the plan to double the capacity of the number of pupils in the Sint-Joris primary school in the Cellebroersstraat and on the Nieuwland site a little further.

During this work, part of the first medieval ramparts of the City of Brussels collapsed on November 19 last year. This wall from the 13th century is adjacent to the school site. No children were present at the site at that time.

The cause of the collapse is still being investigated. But it caused problems that exceeded the capacity of the school board. That is why the ministers Guy Vanhengel and his successor Sven Gatz, both responsible for Dutch-speaking Education, took initiatives with the Flemish Community Commission (VGC) to secure the school site and ensure the stability of the medieval city tower which is still standing.

The remaining sections of the wall were taken down under the supervision of the Heritage Department of the City of Brussels and the zone around the collapse was closed. A large amount of stability sand was then poured in to reinforce the slope. The VGC has already spent 100,000 euros for these works that guarantee safety on and around the site and protect the urban patrimony.

In addition, urgent work was started to guarantee the accessibility of the school building and the site. The repairs to the sewer system, the waterproofing of the buildings and the electricity network must make the kindergarten up and running again. The playground is also being renewed. The VGC college has now provided an additional 250,000 euros for all these works.