Residents of a senior housing complex have risen up in revolt against a “patronising” ban on alcohol in their communal living area.

From December 1 the Oud Sluys apartment complex in Maassluis has forbidden “strong drink”, such as port and gin from the daytime area, including during group activities such as bingo nights. Wine, beer and cider will still be allowed.

Seniorenwelzijn, which runs the complex, said the move was designed to comply with “local health policy and social developments relating to growing old healthily”.

But people living in the complex slammed the ban as “patronising and childish”. Some hung hand-painted banners from their balconies with slogans such as “70-80-90 – baas in eigen glas” (in charge of my own glass).

Other banners displayed messages such as: “Advocaatje? Not any more”, “stop being patronising” and “talk with us, not about us”.

Ria, one of three sisters in their seventies, told AD.nl: “People just have a glass of wine or an Advocaat with bingo. Most of us don’t drink at all.

Géén advocaatje meer, geen glaasje jenever of port. ‘Het is belachelijk’, vinden de zussen Ria (73), Marion (75) en Sietske (70) het verbod op sterkedrank dat is ingevoerd in de ontmoetingsruimte van appartementencomplex Oud Sluys in Maassluishttps://t.co/clOdBM7LhL

— AD.nl (@ADnl) December 2, 2024

“We want to see how we’re being nannied in Oud Sluys. Because nothing ever happens here. People just have a drink on Friday afternoon.”

Local pensioners’ party VSP asked questions in the local council chamber about the policy in October, but the municipal administration said it was up to Seniorenwelzijn to write its own house rules.

Ids Theepas, interim manager at Seniorenwelzijn, said there had been “incidents” involving alcohol use in the complex, but would not be drawn on details.

He said: “We have frequently heard from a lot of elderly people in the neighbourhood that they are wary of coming to the meeting areas.”

“I don’t see it as being patronising,” Theepas added. “It’s been shown that alcohol in general, and strong drink especially, is really unhealthy. So we have to choose as a well-being organisation whether you draw a line, and we have to draw a line.”

He said there may be some room for negotiation over drinks that are “on the border between strong drink and light alcohol”, such as Advocaat. “We could reconsider whether we can allow an Advocaat.”

But a glass of port is out of the question, he said. “That’s much stronger. We’re not doing that.”