“It’s of no use”: Disagreement between traders over the future of the Decazeville upper plateau road

“When they redo it, I will already be retired,” quips Régis Bories, the fifty-year-old director of sport 2000 in Decazeville for 25 years. Like other traders, for whom he has become the spokesperson, he wishes the redevelopment of the road which links the upper plateau to the central area “The former mayor has even come here to talk about it. He suggested I make a petition. I don’t think that will solve the problem.” If it is not to attract customers more easily “because we don’t know anything about it”, it is above all a question of “link”. According to the merchant, creating additional access can greatly make life easier for residents “This is to avoid having to make all these detours.”

After having tried everything, Régis Bories is now overcome by a feeling of abandonment. “I heard they want to make a one-way road instead. With pretty flowers, etc. That’s not what we want. A simple two-way road with tarmac, and so on. ‘is all.” He, and other colleagues in the area, forwarded, for yet another attempt, their request to the president of the merchants’ association, Virginie Aguiar, also a municipal councilor. “There have been discussions at the community level. In principle, everyone agrees. Except that no deadline has been set,” she confirms.

“We will discuss this subject next year”

But this claim poses a problem for Said Zanfari, owner of the Decaz’Auto dealership. Also located on the upper plateau for eight years, the manager will no longer be able to store his cars if one day the project comes to fruition. “They are very nice but if it reopens, I will close. I will no longer have space for my business.” And to emphasize that in Decazeville, there are enough companies which are going out of business to afford to lose yet another one… “I am a tenant. If, for example, I have to recover the blower premises, it I have to buy it, and that’s not possible.” Above all, he does not hide his incomprehension. For him, “no point” in rebuilding this portion of the road. “There are already two access points. It would be spending public money for nothing. Down there, there isn’t much. In any case, I saw an elected official on Monday who told me said that no one had raised this subject in community council.”

For his part, François Marty, mayor of Decazeville and president of the Community of Communes, confirms that, for the moment, reopening is not on the table. “We will discuss this subject next year. First we finish what we started.” And in particular the work in the central area and… the reconstruction of the wall which supports the upper plateau.