Ct is the “end of an administrative ping-pong” which lasted three years. Thursday June 27, elected officials from the Bergerac Municipal Council (Dordogne) voted on two deliberations allowing the official launch of work at the slaughterhouse. After procrastination in 2023 to know whether it was necessary to renovate the existing building or build a new building, the elected officials, who had opted for the first solution, released a final brake by modifying the public service delegation contract (DSP) granted to the mixed economy company of Bergerac slaughterhouses (Semab).
Thus, the City will carry out the work, becoming the project owner, in place of Semab, in order to be able to obtain subsidies from the various communities.
The colossal project has been estimated at a total of 6 million euros. It includes in particular the reconstruction of the cutting workshop which was destroyed in a fire in January 2020.
A transformation workshop
Abandoned by the wholesaler who occupied it, this 500 m² building will house the Nature Viande cutting workshop from spring 2025, which is today based on rue Jacques-Le-Lorrain. “We were a little cramped in our premises,” notes Étienne Maury, who hopes to create two or three jobs. It will also be a real plus to have processing on site to prevent breeders from leaving, because, until then, they no longer had a solution. »
The work, estimated at 1.3 million euros, including 900,000 euros paid by insurance, should begin this July with the destruction of what remains of the old building. Then comes the big part: bringing the slaughterhouse up to standard with regard to hygiene and animal welfare, while the structure can process around 5,500 tonnes of meat per year. This upgrading has already begun, with the delivery of a new refrigeration unit to the site. This should be put into service in July and will enable savings to be made, particularly on energy costs, as will the installation of a new boiler.
Animal wellbeing
Stalls, slaughter hall, corridor, renewal of containment traps for cattle: the lines dedicated to cattle, pigs and sheep will be completely modernized by 2026. In total, the project represents 3.5 million euros with joint funding from the State, the Department, the Agglomeration and the City, up to 700,000 euros each.
Finally, the machines will be renewed for 1.2 million euros. The economic situation of the structure remains fragile with “500 tons of meat lost in 2023”, according to Jean-Claude Rey, the advisor in charge of the file. “But the more qualitative we are, the more professionals will come”, he estimates. For its part, the City has agreed to lower the fee owed by Semab from 187,000 to 110,000 euros.
The slaughterhouse would also have prospects for service development and will participate in the next livestock conference organized by the Chamber of Agriculture.
Screenshot City of Bergerac Facebook page
Fatiha Bancal asked to be considered in opposition.
Fatiha Bancal in opposition
At the very end of the Municipal Council, Fatiha Bancal, whose delegations to city policy and social housing were withdrawn in February, spoke. She asked Mayor Jonathan Prioleaud to consider her in opposition. She spoke of “serious political disagreements” with the city councilor. She spoke of her concern about social housing with increasingly long waiting times. “Bergerac is a deficient city and the situation today is catastrophic,” she said, asking the mayor if he had decided to place the issue among his priorities for the next two years.
Furthermore, Fatiha Bancal informed him of her disagreement with the monitoring of social centres, particularly with regard to his request relating to the establishment of a training course for agents.
In response, Jonathan Prioleaud highlighted the elected official’s absenteeism since September and the fact that she had taken up a new job. “The basic work has not been done,” he said. He also recalled his plan for 1,000 housing units (rehabilitated and built), and assured that the training budget had doubled. “You use a lot of lies; I have done my job,” the elected official said. “I would have been so happy if you had invited me to a meeting with investors.”
