motocross field closed for 4 years, the mayor issues an ultimatum to the State

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Two months after announcing that he would not run for president of the motocross section of the Club Sportif des Andelys (Eure), Thierry Ricard finally decided to come back.

During the last general assembly held at the Maison des associations, he explained:

“A lot of people called me and convinced me to stay. So I'm representing myself but if someone wants to take the place…”

Due to a lack of candidates, Thierry Ricard was re-elected.

“Everything is in order”

The president will be accompanied in his task by Celine Sauretthe treasurer, who agreed to continue for another year.

Nolan Ricard will serve as secretary and Francis Morel that of vice-president.

The new office was adopted unanimously.

“We will continue to fight and I can assure you that we will still do something this year,” said the president who expressed the wish to organize a race on the meadow.

The treasurer, for her part, indicated:

“We are returning to the CSA where we were before and we are in the process of opening an account at Crédit Agricole des Andelys. Everything is back to normal. »

After having addressed the two subjects on the agenda of the meeting, the floor was given to the mayor Frédéric Duché.

He provided an update regarding the municipality's position on the motocross field which has been closed for almost four years.

“I'm a little tired of hearing people say that it was the town hall that closed the field. At some point, it starts to tire me because I'm like you, I endure decisions. »

Veto of the regional prefect

He then recalled the facts. In 2021, the club remodeled the pitch and discovered a cavity which the president declared at town hall. “Today you say that you should not have done it, I think that you acted very well,” he declared to the president.

The mayor contacted the State, which asked him to issue a closure order while it carried out the necessary investigations around the cavity.

This is why the upper Château-Gaillard car park was reopened but not the foxhole circuit.

“You asked for a modification of the route which I supported because I am not one of those elected officials who think that all motor sports should be killed. It doesn't bother me and I've never had any complaints from anyone. The file went through the regional prefect who said 'no, you are not reopening the land'. »

“Dependent on a State decision”

Frédéric Duché reported several meetings with the French Motorcycle Federation (FFM), the sub-prefect suggested carrying out additional surveys but the mayor admitted not being aware of the results of these studies.

“Today, the town hall is dependent on a decision from the State. If I decide to reopen the field and there is the slightest glitch, it's me who dives behind. I saw the new prefect, the sub-prefect and the architect of Bâtiments de France to ask them to have a clear position in relation to the people of the club to know whether or not there is a possibility of reopening this ground . I mandated Cédric Toutin to look for new land with Cemex and Lafarge and I committed to supporting the club. »

“If there is no response, I will terminate the order”

After reading an extract from the letter addressed to the prefect of Eure, Frédéric Duché said:

“It doesn't suit me to have recovered land that is of no use to me and that I don't have the means to maintain. I told the state that if they didn't want to reopen, it was their decision, not mine. In this case, he buys the land from the community. If I do not have a response at the beginning of the year, I will end the order and allow you to use the motocross field. »

For him, the State has views on the ground and has recalled elements of context. “Previously, the State owned the castle keep, the city owned the rest of the site. Three or four years ago, they released a document by which the castle belongs entirely to them, keep, advanced work, cliffs. I think there is a more global subject and that the land interests them to make it a nature reserve. »

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