The illumination of signal towers – this medieval heritage which overlooks the Pyrénées-Orientales – will remain a “dream” for these designers. The CEO of local green energy supply company, Llum, announces this evening give up the evening of May 7, 2024. Evening of which France Bleu Roussillon was a partner. David Gener wanted to install LED projectors at the foot of around fifteen towers around the Roussillon plain, in Vallespir and in Cerdagne. Two beams per turn, lit for one hour, with a light that can reach up to 600m high to greet the arrival of the Olympic flame the next day and make Catalan heritage shine, as he explained on France Bleu Roussillon on April 30.
The environmental code is intractable
After a final meeting in the prefecture on Tuesday, the organizers of the event wrote: “It was finally made clear to us, after 8 months of discussions, tests and agreements, that the entire department was, apart from Perpignan and its conurbation, on “protected sites” or “sites hosting protected species” . Only the towers of Canet en Roussillon and Château Roussillon could have escaped the regulations. All the others are in protected natural areas or regional natural parks. Around some of them, protected species such as moths, eagles and bats nest or live.
Risk of heavy fine and prosecution
On Tuesday at the prefecture, organizers were reminded that protected areas were governed by a 2018 ministerial decree which prohibited any excessive light Source on these sites. According to our information, they could incur €150,000 fine and criminal prosecution.
For the project leaders, the timing of this reminder is experienced as a lack of understanding. They had come to the prefecture with proposals for adjustments such as abandoning the lighting of the Massane tower where moths breed during this period. David Gener and his team believe that they were victims of a campaign orchestrated by environmental associations outside the department: “Despite all our good will, these oppressors from elsewhere got the better of this beautiful project, living lesson givers in metropolises more illuminated than our entire department, claiming to protect our fauna and flora better than us, who cherish it so much. We remain surprised that others can survey, illuminate, or even set fire to all these saved areas. So should we cancel all public festivities?” However, the local branch of the Bird Protection League, employees of the Massane reserve and other associations in the department had also, including on our microphone, expressed their concern in recent days.
Final blow to the project: the organizing committee of the Olympic Games also did not look favorably on the tribute paid to the arrival of the flame by the Llum tours. The rules for labeling events around the Games are extremely strict.
