Uccle: very good transparency, largest municipality by area

Rue Beeckman: the court allows the centre to open (19 August 2026)

On Wednesday 19 August 2026, the judge in summary proceedings authorised the move of the reception centre for applicants for international protection from Koekelberg to the former care home on rue Beeckman. The decision closes a sequence opened on 12 July, during which two successive suspensions blocked the transfer at the request of residents' groups, joined by the municipal college.

The centre has 238 places. It will accommodate families as a priority, along with single women and men and some unaccompanied minors. Thirty-five staff will provide round-the-clock reception and psycho-medical-social support. It replaces the Koekelberg centre, judged unfit.

The court accepts that a change of use of the building is required. The Samusocial must shortly file a planning permit application together with a change-of-use application, which will itself go to public enquiry. A charter bringing together the municipality, residents, the Samusocial and Fedasil is to set out each party's rights and obligations.

Acting mayor Valentine Delwart (MR) says she intends to support the move and remain attentive to residents. The local PS welcomes the future residents and recalls that the college had joined the appeal brought by some inhabitants.

Sources: BX1 (19 August 2026) ; La Libre (20 August 2026) ; La DH (20 August 2026). Confidence: official for the decision and its procedural consequences.

The largest municipality by area

Uccle is the largest municipality in the Brussels Region by area (22.9 km²) and the fifth by population (nearly 87,000 inhabitants). A residential and green municipality, it is governed by a renewed MR-DéFI + Ecolo-Groen coalition.

Transparency: 5 out of 6 criteria

Uccle achieves a very good score. The budget and council minutes (with dedicated archives) are published online, the council is broadcast via livestream on YouTube, the mandate registry is accessible, and the municipality runs a participatory budget of EUR 150,000 via the MonOpinion platform. Only the Open Data portal is missing.

Citizen participation: MonOpinion

Uccle uses the MonOpinion platform (based on Decidim) for its participatory budget of EUR 150,000, allowing citizens to propose and vote on improvement projects for the municipality.

Recent developments

The property tax (PRI) has been raised from 2,940 to 3,400 additional centimes. The PFAS contamination at the Sicli site (Chaussee de Neerstalle 430) remains a major issue: a 100-metre safety perimeter has been in place since September 2025 (see PFAS dossier). A collaboration project with the municipality of Linkebeek is under consideration.

Tram 82 extended to the Dieweg (7 June 2026)

From Saturday 7 June 2026, tram 82 runs again via rue de Stalle and square Marlow and is extended to the Dieweg, following works on rue de l'Etoile. Uccle is now directly connected to Brussels-Midi station.

Source: BX1 (7 June 2026).

CetteFamille — first shared housing for elderly in Belgium (June 2026)

The first shared housing for elderly people in Belgium has opened in Uccle. This model, developed by CetteFamille, combines autonomy with home care support, as an alternative to traditional care homes. Iriscare management visited the facility, signalling institutional interest in this model within the Region's elderly care policy.

Source: Iriscare (3 June 2026).

Fedasil reception centre on rue Beeckman: opening suspended by the courts (12 July 2026)

The transfer to the Samusocial/Fedasil reception centre with 230 places on rue Beeckman, whose opening had been announced for 14 July 2026, was provisionally suspended by the Brussels court of first instance on 12 July 2026, following an appeal by residents disputing the building's compliance with planning rules. No ruling on the merits was known as of 20 July 2026.

The case triggered a contradictory citizen mobilisation: a petition supporting the centre gathered 1,376 signatures, against 1,528 for the opposing petition, according to a count published in mid-July.

Sources: RTBF, La Libre (12 July 2026); DH, Sudinfo (15-16 July 2026). Confidence: official for the court suspension; both petitions are reported strictly neutrally.

Parc Raspail reopens (10 July 2026)

Parc Raspail, a listed site closed for over a year for restoration works (boundary wall, ice house, pond, 19th-century features), reopened to the public on 10 July 2026. An official inauguration is planned for 12 September 2026.

Source: DH, Sudinfo (11 July 2026).

2025 municipal accounts in surplus

The municipal council of 25 June 2026 approved the 2025 accounts, closed with a surplus of EUR 1.38 million (overall result of EUR 14.19 million), despite an exceptional transfer of over EUR 5 million to the CPAS and EUR 17.6 million in pension charges.

Source: BX1 (June 2026).

Rue Beeckman: transfer relaunched then re-suspended by the courts (3 August 2026)

On Monday 3 August 2026, the Samusocial launched the transfer of 238 applicants for international protection from Koekelberg to the former Armonea building on rue Beeckman. The operation was halted within twenty-four hours: the Brussels court of first instance extended the suspension of the project, seized by two resident collectives contesting the building's planning compliance since the start of July.

The Samusocial stated that it respects the court decision and is suspending all installation operations until further notice. The final ruling is expected in mid-August 2026.

This new episode extends the provisional suspension of 12 July documented above. The number of people concerned, 238, is that of the transfer actually launched, to be distinguished from the centre's announced capacity of 230 places.

Sources: La Libre (4 August 2026) ; La DH (4 August 2026). Confidence: official for the court decision.

Reopening the Ukkelbeek to reduce flooding (August 2026)

The municipality began works this summer to reopen the Ukkelbeek, which rises on avenue De Fré, and connect it to the pond in front of the castle in Wolvendael park. Stated aim: reduce recurrent flooding in the lower part of avenue De Fré and improve the pond's biodiversity.

The mechanism. The pond will act as a natural storm basin: its overflow is regulated by a structure known as a "monk", which controls the water level towards a pipe joining the Ukkelbeek via rue Rouge, and temporarily stores part of the runoff from the park and the Crabbegat path. The connection should also oxygenate the pond; the shrub layer, judged to be in poor condition and encroaching on the reed bed, will be replaced by aquatic plants.

The works. The stretch of avenue De Fré between avenue du Manoir and the park entrance has been closed since early August 2026, with a diversion via avenue de l'Echevinage and avenue Brugmann, and no parking in the works zone. The park's main entrance may be closed if needed, with access maintained through the small gate along the castle. Works due to end on 24 August 2026.

The municipality also launched a study in January 2026 on reopening the Linkebeek, which disappeared from the landscape in the 1960s.

Source: BRUZZ (10 August 2026). Confidence: unconfirmed.