Puurs-Sint-Amands
Puurs-Sint-Amands is a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp that arose on 1 January 2019 from the merging of the municipalities of Puurs and Sint-Amands.
Puurs-Sint-Amands | |
|---|---|
| Country | Belgium |
| Community | Flemish Community |
| Region | Flemish Region |
| Province | Antwerp |
| Arrondissement | Mechelen |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Koen Van den Heuvel |
| • Governing party/ies | CD&V |
| Area | |
| • Total | 48.99 km2 (18.92 sq mi) |
| Website | puurs-sint-amands.be |
The merged municipality has an area of 48.99 km² and count more than 25,000 inhabitants.
Together with Bornem, the area forms a region known as Little Brabant.
Creation
The Flemish Government provides incentives for municipalities to voluntarily merge. The municipal councils of Puurs and Sint-Amands approved a merge in principle on 18 September 2017. Definitive approval occurred on 20 November 2017, which was ratified by Flemish decree of 4 May 2018 alongside several other merges, all to be effective per 1 January 2019.
As of 1 January 2018, the municipality of Puurs had a population of 17,452 and Sint-Amands a population of 8,480.
Government
The first elections for the new municipality were held during the regular local elections of 14 October 2018, electing a municipal council for the legislative period of 2019–2024. CD&V obtained a majority of seats in the municipal council (17 out of 29). Koen Van den Heuvel, who was mayor of Puurs until then, became mayor of Puurs-Sint-Amands.
