elected officials want to buy the land to preserve the environment

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And if the antenna project on the hills of Saint-Marcel (Your) was finally buried ? In any case, this is the proposition made by the municipality during the municipal council of October 22, 2024.

Indeed, in a letter received Thursday September 26, the City of Saint-Marcel learned of the sale of land concerned by the project (a wooded plot owned by Mr and Mrs Pichou, Editor’s note), for an amount of 15 000 €for the benefit of the company Tower Cast, leader of the project to establish a 59 meter antenna.

“Under the terms of article L331-24 of the Forest Code, the municipality has a right of preference allowing it to replace the buyer in the context of any transfer of land register plots of wood and forests of a total surface area less than four hectares,” indicates Mayor Hervé Podraza.

Make the license void

The elected officials therefore put to the vote the possibility of redeem the land andprevent antenna construction.

“By buying the land, we are certain that the antenna will not be built,” immediately asks Rémi Ferreira, leader of the 100% Saint-Marcel group. “If we buy, we do what we want. We can make the license void,” says Hervé Podraza.

On the opposition side, we were still concerned about the potential appeals that the company Tower Cast could launch. “The right of preference is still quite solid, I am not sure that they will contest that,” tried to reassure Jean-Luc Maublanc, deputy mayor in charge of finances.

On the side of Cap au Vert, an environmental protection association based in Saint-Marcel and which has followed the file from the start, the news was well received.

This is good news. Let's be vigilant and let things happen. We are mobilized and we will remain so, in order to preserve our landscapes.

A global project

An ambition shared by the municipality. According to the latter, the repurchase of the land should make it possible to carry out another project and to highlight the hillsides “in another way”.

“We don't want to say straight away that it will work, but the aim of the buyout is to prevent the construction of the antenna. This area (at the intersection of rue du Château and rue de La Heunière, editor's note), is an entrance to the city with a Norman cross and an ancient calvary that we wish to highlight. Furthermore, we do not just want to prevent the project leader, the buyout is part of in a more global valorization project“, explains the municipality.

A wish which corresponds more broadly to the municipality's wish to protect its natural spaces by revising its local urban planning plan (PLU) with more restrictive rules, particularly to protect the hillsides.

As for the finances, the €15,000 to pay to buy the land are part of the budget of €110,000 dedicated to investments in the preservation of spaces and mentioned in the budgetary orientation report of February 16.

[Mise à jour 18/11/2024] : In a press release received by the editorial staff of Le Démocrate on Monday, November 18, the City of Saint-Marcel indicates that it can now confirm that the acquisition of the land will be completed in the next few days. It is specified that the Pichou couple, owners of the land, remained free to renounce the sale in order to continue the project of building the antenna under more advantageous financial conditions. By agreeing to cede their plot to the municipality, at the request of the municipal team, they are acting voluntarily in the general interest of the inhabitants of Saint-Marcel.

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