One of the last green buffers against Brussels’ relentless suburban expansion, via Wezembeek-Oppem, could soon disappear beneath yet another new housing estate — and not everyone is happy about it.
Property developer Matexi has submitted formal plans to build 20 detached homes on the former British School of Brussels (BSB) sports grounds. The housing project has long triggered fierce opposition from nearby residents. They cite the loss of vital green space next to their own houses built decades ago, alongside increased traffic congestion, flooding risks, and what they describe as the gradual erosion of Tervuren’s rural character.
The Matexi project has become about more than 20 houses. It stands as a symbol of the continued risk of private project developers creating an almost uninterrupted urban landscape stretching from the Brussels capital region directly into Tervuren.
Tervuren Mayor Thomas Geyns (Anders, Voor Tervuren) sought to cool the controversy, insisting the town council was not the proper place to discuss an individual planning application while it remains under environmental and administrative review.
“This council should debate policy principles, not individual permit applications,” Geyns said.
The mayor also rejected suggestions that the land had been recently rezoned to allow the housing development.
“This has been residential land since the regional zoning plans of the 1970s,” he told councillors. “There has been no change of designation.”
Yet the exchange revealed wider political tensions about the future of real estate development in Tervuren. Groen councillor Bram Peters, himself an owner of a new build on former Council land, challenged the mayor’s assertion that the municipal executive had little knowledge of the project, arguing that large-scale developments affecting hundreds of residents deserve public debate.
The town council debate was brought up by Tervuren Unie-Volt’s Councillor Tracey D’Afters. For ten minutes, she read out a prepared paper with a long list of questions and comments on the Matexi project. Ever diplomatic, the council chair praised the increased detail, ignoring her stumbling over Dutch pronunciation, and told D’Afters to ditch reading out full texts in the future. “I think you are losing the attention of the council members, but perhaps also of the people who are currently following along from a distance,” said Van Rossum, chair of the town council and Tervuren’s ethics committee.
By daytime, Van Rossum is a paid adviser to former mayor Jan Spooren, now governor of Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant), who also handles official appeals regarding Tervuren planning decisions.
The controversy also comes after Belgium’s Council of State struck down a key element of Tervuren’s planning framework designed to protect open space and preserve the municipality’s semi-rural character.
Looser old planning rules helped drive population growth from 15,261 in 1970 to 20,181 in 2000, boosting town revenues but increasing traffic through the centre’s narrow streets. Today, Tervuren has 23,246 residents, 44% of whom are of non-Belgian origin, compared to 29% in 2000.
🏡 Tervuren housing market · 2026 FAQ
Prices, trends & comparisons to Wezembeek‑Oppem and Overijse
