In December 2020, the Community Council of the Saumur Val de Loire Urban Community developed an Intercommunal Local Advertising Regulation (RLPi) with the objectives of combating visual pollution while preserving the attractiveness and commercial dynamism of the territory, harmonizing local regulations and, more generally, adapting national regulations to the characteristics of the territory and strengthening them. It must be said that in Saumurois, the issues are multiple with the Regional Natural Park, the UNESCO classification, the architects of buildings of France, Natura 2000, protected sector… An administrative headache where all the stakeholders must agree, particularly on the city of Saumur. A long-term work that finally came to fruition after 4 years of work! It provides for several areas with different issues. A first zone with sites with heritage stakes in the urban area, a second with predominantly residential sectors in the urban area, another which concerns the major road axes in the urban area and a last one for the economic activity zones. Concretely, in Saumur, this means: less advertising in the city centre with the maintenance of street furniture but the removal of several advertisements on large masts and a reduction in the number of advertisements. Columns, in the Morris column style, will be installed. The advertisements will however be densified in the zones, such as Ecoparc in particular. “The contract with Decaux was signed more than 15 years ago (editor’s note: it had been extended due to Covid and the development of the RLPi). Thus, the Ecoparc zone was not as dynamic at the time and it had not been considered in the same way in the contract”specifies Mayor Jackie Goulet. A new market will be relaunched for 2025/2040, a transitional market to gradually adapt these new regulations. “There will probably be a loss in the volume of advertising overall in the city, but a gain in quality, display and living environment.”
