A controversial plan to build a new “erotic centre” near the RAI exhibition centre and reduce window prostitution in Amsterdam’s red-light district is on the verge of collapse after the local branch of D66 withdrew its support.

D66 is a key part of the city’s ruling coalition, which backed the plan first put forward by mayor Femke Halsema several years ago.

However, the Liberal Democrats have not included the proposal in their draft manifesto for next year’s local council elections, leaving only GroenLinks and the PvdA in favour of the development, the Parool reported on Wednesday.

The idea behind the “erotic centre”, which was scheduled to open in 2031, is to reduce over-tourism in the city centre, provide a safe place for sex workers to operate and curb the involvement of organised crime in the sex industry.

In 2024, city officials selected a site on wasteland south of the A10 ring road, near the RAI exhibition centre and the Zuidas business district to build the centre but work has not yet begun.

In March, it emerged that officials in The Hague were concerned about the international reaction if Amsterdam pressed ahead with building the erotic centre at that location.

The European Medicines Agency, which is located on the eastern edge of Zuidas, has also protested heavily about the location.

The city council is due to take a final decision on whether or not to press ahead with the development next year.

A spokesman for Halsema told the Parool that she would not comment on the D66 decision, but the paper said she was annoyed by the party’s change of position.

Instead of an erotic centre,  D66 says it now supports the introduction of “multiple, small-scale locations”, as well as “love hotels” and home-based prostitution, which is currently illegal.