Pajottegem, the new merged municipality of Herne, Galmaarden and Gooik, will extend over 120 square kilometers, the equivalent of three-quarters of the territory of the Brussels Region. This will make it the largest municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant.
According to a report presented on Wednesday, Pajottegem will also have relatively more open spaces and agricultural areas than the average in Flemish Brabant.
Like 12 other merged municipalities in Flanders, Pajottegem will officially exist from January 1st. For the occasion, the province of Flemish Brabant prepared a report detailing the characteristics of the new municipality.
Tirlemont exceeded
Until now, the municipality of Tirlemont, with 73 square kilometers, was the largest municipality in the province. The largest municipality in Flanders is Antwerp (204 km²).
Pajottegem will have more than 25,000 inhabitants and a population density of 211 inhabitants per square kilometer. This means that the population density of the municipality is much lower than that of the province as a whole (566).
Agriculture occupies 69% of the area of the future commune. This is significantly more than the 46% in the province of Flemish Brabant. 90% of the total area of Pajottegem is covered by green or unbuilt spaces, compared to 82% in Flemish Brabant.
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