The owner of a property in central Alkmaar which burned down during the New Year firework celebrations has been presented with a €60,000 bill for archaeological research following the blaze, broadcaster Nos reports.

Ronald Nordemann, who says he lost ‘everything’ in the fire which destroyed three listed buildings, is liable for a proportion of the bill as the owner of one of the  properties.

The law, which is just a couple of years old, states that if an historic part of town becomes vacant, it must be examined by archaeologists.

The law also states that the person who took the initiative to clear the land must pay for this. ‘The law sees me as the initiator and so I have to pay,’ Nordemann told the broadcaster.

The total bill is some €125,000 and the council has agreed to pay half. ‘I understand their reasoning,’ Nordemann said. ‘It would set a precedent.’

City official Anjo van de Ven says it is up to the owners of the property and their insurance companies to solve the problem. ‘It is not the council’s job to pay,’ Van de Veen said. ‘We ensure the archaeological research is carried out quickly and efficiently.’

Nordemann says his insurance company states he is only covered for the foundations of his property, not what lies beneath them. ‘The law is an ass,’ Nordemann says. ‘How can I be considered the initiator. That was the fire.’

History

Meanwhile, the archaeologist have discovered that the Langestraat, where the three properties were located, may not have been a dyke as earlier thought.

‘The history of Alkmaar may have to be rewritten,’ city archaeologist Peter Bitter told Nos.