The disappearance of the village of Moerdijk came a step closer to reality on Wednesday evening when councillors voted in favour of the plan to allow the expansion of the nearby port and industrial zone.

Councillors voted by 19 votes to three in favour of the recommendation by the village executive to give up the village. “It was a difficult and painful decision,” mayor Aart-Jan Moerkerke is reported as saying by local broadcaster Omroep Brabant.

A solution must now be found for the village’s 1,100 residents, including compensation for those who leave and measures to ensure the village remains a pleasant place to live as residents slowly move out.

“It is not just a village that is being swept away, but an entire community,” one resident told the broadcaster.

The area around Moerdijk has been designated as a key hub for the Netherlands’ future energy infrastructure.

The Powerport development needs 400 to 500 hectares of land for high-voltage substations, transformer stations and pipelines to support the transition to clean energy and supply power to homes and businesses in the coming decades.

Under the proposal, residents would be able to remain in the village for up to 10 years. The construction of the new energy facilities is due to begin in 2028 and be completed by 2033.