Residents of Mas de Souyri, in Villefranche, are protesting against the proposed reception area and major passage for travelers, near their neighborhood. A petition has been launched.
A few days after the announcement of a high-traffic area for travelers, several Villefranche residents are speaking out against this project. As a reminder, the State requires the Ouest Aveyron community to create this area sized for 60 places, which would make it possible to accommodate caravans during travel, during traditional or occasional gatherings.
This project, which is currently only in its embryonic state, has been included in the PLUi (local town planning plan). A public consultation has been carried out in recent weeks on the entire town planning document. Initially sized at 4 hectares, the land was reduced to a single hectare.
At the entrance to town
After Martiel and Vailhourles, which were considered, it was Villefranche which was chosen. A one hectare plot of land at the entrance to the town has been identified, next to the former Calvet company, along the Montauban road. This field is located about a hundred meters from the Mas de Souyri district.
“We had to identify an area, a choice which is not that of intercommunality,” explains Michel Delpech, its president. “Unfortunately, we are only responding to requests from the State. We have taken into account the comments of local residents and we will continue to report them.”
Residents, who say they learned of the project less than a week ago, launched a petition immediately. “We are peaceful here, in the countryside. We want to stay that way,” argue a couple of residents. “This project was done behind our backs. The residents were not consulted and suddenly it landed on the table. We are bitter.”
“It doesn’t make for very good publicity.”
For some residents, it is fear that predominates. “We have nothing against these people but we don’t understand why this area would be set up here. There is already a big enough one at Les Gravasses, not counting the Madeleine fairground,” says Didier*. “Then, it’s true that Travelers don’t have a very good reputation, so having them as neighbors…” It’s the service station on the roundabout that collects the signatures of the petition. “We already have feedback. We invite all those who are opposed to the project to come forward,” harangues the manager. “Such an area at the entrance to the city does not provide very good publicity for Villefranche.”
“The project is very far from being implemented”
During the last community council, elected officials gave a favorable opinion to this high-traffic area project. Electricity, sanitation network, land development work, it requires large investments to create this space. Thus, the intercommunality has conditioned this project only if all the intercommunalities of Western Aveyron, from Decazeville to Figeac, via Rieupeyroux, agree to provide financial support. The latter will address the subject during their respective council meetings in the coming months. “We will remain firm on this. We have already slowed down the prefecture which wanted the land to be purchased already,” underlines the president of OAC. “So the project is very far from being implemented.”
benoît donnadieu
