Concrete Blocks Appear at Brussels-Flanders Border to Curb Illegal Dumping

Approximately one hundred concrete blocks have been installed along Avenue du Hunderenveld, the road marking the border between Berchem-Sainte-Agathe in the Brussels Region and Grand-Bigard in Flanders. The sudden appearance of the blocks, placed on parking spaces along the avenue, has drawn attention from local residents and raised questions about their purpose — but the answer lies in a long-standing problem of illegal waste dumping that has plagued the area for years.

The avenue runs alongside a vacant plot of land with wild vegetation on the Flemish side, opposite residential buildings on the Brussels side. For years, this stretch of roughly 500 meters served as an informal dumping ground, attracting everything from construction debris and household waste to old mattresses and refrigerators.

A Cross-Regional Solution

The concrete blocks are the result of an official agreement between the municipality of Berchem-Sainte-Agathe and the authorities of Dilbeek, as RTBF reported. Christian Lamouline, the mayor of Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, explained that the avenue is more than 90% on the Flemish side, which limited his ability to act unilaterally.

“This land is in Flanders and the avenue is largely, more than 90%, on the Flemish side,” Lamouline said. “Since there were illegal dumping activities, since it had been a real dump for years, and since I couldn’t act because we are outside the Brussels-Capital Region, we agreed with Dilbeek to place concrete blocks all along the avenue to prevent parking and deter dumping by people who parked there.”

The decision appears to be working. Local resident Micheline told RTBF that the blocks have put an end to the illegal dumping: “Before, people came to throw anything and everything on this vacant land: construction waste, household waste, old mattresses, old refrigerators… The neighborhood is nice, but with all this waste, the image wasn’t good. Since the blocks are there, there are no more illegal dumps.”

Another resident, Lee, noted that some of the dumping came from across the regional border: “There were also people who live in the Flemish periphery who came to throw white trash bags on this vacant land because the bags are more expensive at home.”

A Notorious Dumping Ground

The scale of the problem became clear in early 2026, when a Flemish operation collected more than 21 tonnes (21,360 kg) of illegal waste from the area. According to a press release from the Province of Flemish Brabant, the cleanup cost 53,724 euros and required manual removal of waste from the wooded, difficult-to-access terrain.

Tom Dehaene, deputy for waterways at the Province of Flemish Brabant, described the operation: “It was a broad mix of waste, including furniture, refrigerators, construction debris and household waste. Material was even found that possibly came from a cannabis plantation.”

The illegal dumping at the Brussels-Flanders border is part of a wider phenomenon known as “trash tourism.” A roll of trash bags costs approximately 22.50 euros in Vilvoorde, about ten times more than in Brussels, incentivizing Flemish residents to dispose of waste in the capital or at its edges. As RTBF previously reported, the Avenue de Vilvorde in Brussels became a notorious hotspot for such dumping, where concrete blocks were also installed to prevent vehicles from stopping.

The problem extends beyond specific streets. RTBF reported that 36.7% of fines for illegal dumping issued by Brussels City in 2025 targeted non-residents, with 7,731 fines totaling 1.16 million euros — a 61% increase over 2024. Anas Ben Abdelmoumen, Brussels alderman for Public Cleanliness, noted that commuters from the Flemish periphery often buy cheaper trash bags in Brussels and dump them on their way to work.

A Symbolic Contrast

The installation of blocks at the border comes at a time when Brussels is actively removing concrete blocks from its own streets. In May 2026, the Brussels government, led by Minister-President Boris Dillies, publicly removed blocks from the Avenue de la Toison d’Or as part of a beautification effort, as RTBF reported. “We say too often — sometimes rightly — that Brussels is the city of concrete,” Dillies said. “Road safety is important, but a beautiful city is a minimum for Brussels residents, commuters, investors, merchants and tourists.”

What’s Next

The concrete blocks along Avenue du Hunderenveld are not intended to be permanent. The vacant land has been purchased by the Province of Flemish Brabant, which plans to rehabilitate the area into a walking path along the Molenbeek river, complete with a water retention zone capable of storing 7,500 cubic meters to prevent flooding in the valley. The tender for the redevelopment project is expected to be launched in 2026.

Until the redevelopment is completed, the blocks will remain in place — a pragmatic, if visually stark, solution to a problem that has persisted at the regional border for years. As the mayor of Berchem-Sainte-Agathe put it, the priority was clear: stop the dumping, and the neighborhood’s image will follow.