Stéphane Lang, LR departmental councilor, is opposed to the sale of the Commétreuil estate, near Reims in Marne, by the departmental council to a project leader who wants to install a hotel there. While he learned that he would no longer have to sit on the body that manages the area, he denounces an “undemocratic” decision.
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The sale of the Commétreuil estate, in Marne, continues to cause turmoil. The estate located a few kilometers from Reims, in the town of Bouilly, is currently the property of the Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park (PNR).
For years, the building dating from the 1920s housed a nature initiation center. In 2021, it was agreed to sell the estate, closed to the public in 2013, for 1.9 million euros to a private investor, who wishes to open a hotel-restaurant with 75 rooms and 110 seats.
Stéphane Lang, Les Républicains departmental advisor, is stepping up media and legal actions to try to prevent this sale. “I want this to remain in the public domain and that children can still benefit from it to discover our biodiversity”recalls the elected official, whom we contacted this Wednesday, December 18.
He has just learned by mail that the president of the departmental council no longer wanted him to sit on the PNR union committee, a body which has 90 members and where he represents the Department with five other colleagues. In this writing, dated December 11 and of which we were able to consult a copy, the president of the Marne assembly indicates that “this change [lui] seems necessary to preserve departmental interest and take into account the local political context.
“I am stunned to see that the president of the Department wants to exclude me because I am preventing this sale,” protests Stéphane Lang. “I find it really abnormal that I am excluded because my position is embarrassing. I think that each representative of the Department can have their convictions. Everyone fights for their convictions, I have mine. And I think that this is not not the right solution to exclude those who have other beliefs”he continues.
I find it truly undemocratic to exclude myself, even though I defend beliefs which represent a large part of our population, I am convinced.
Stéphane Lang, LR departmental advisor for Marne
While the letter mentions the preservation of departmental interest, Stéphane Lang replies: “For me, the department’s interest is not to build luxury hotels, but rather to help educate our young people.” As a reminder, the project envisaged on the site would require around twenty million euros of investments, but would be entirely financed by the investor, without any financial involvement from the departmental council.
Jean-Marc Roze, president of the Marne departmental council, obviously does not have the same reading of things as Stéphane Lang. “He is a man that I respect and who has the right to have his opinions. But it turns out that as far as his representation within the PNR is concerned, he represents the Department, and not himself”recalls the various right-wing elected official.
“I told him verbally several times, he did not listen to me. At some point, I want the representatives of the Department to carry the voice of the Department within the PNR.”
Jean-Marc Roze recalls that “the departmental assembly voted very broadly a long time ago on the transfer [du domaine de Commétreuil] for the construction of a hotel, leaving around fifty hectares free for walking.”
A representative of an institution such as the departmental council must have a position that is certainly free, but an honest position that represents the opinion of the Department and not a personal opinion.
Jean-Marc Roze, various right-wing president of the Marne departmental council
The project leader, entrepreneur Edouard Daehn, assured us a year ago that the area would remain open to the general public. “We have a legal duty to leave the place open. It’s part of the imponderables of our project. We can come and have a coffee, we can come for a walk on site. We are going to organize lots of things. In particular with the commune of Bouilly, we have ideas for interaction between the school and the permaculture garden that we are going to create”he explained to us.
The modification of the list of representatives of the Marne departmental council within the PNR union committee will be put to a vote at the next plenary session, on January 31. The potential replacement has not yet been chosen by Jean-Marc Roze.
The sale has still not been finalized. After a deliberation by the PNR, voted in March 2021, a promise of sale was signed in October 2023. “I think that in a few months it will be decided”the president of the departmental council told us.”