Few Argelésiens came to the public meeting organized by the Albères Côte Vermeille Illibéris Community of Communes (CC-ACVI) on the progress of the Camp del Cavall economic activity park project.
Antoine Parra, mayor and president of the CC-ACVI, opened the meeting, “progress update on the progress of the new Camp del Cavall economic zone project”. He then managed the exchanges with Florian Jurado, from the Urban projects design office who, having the flu, presented the project via a video connection. Elected officials and economic players from the region were also present, such as Nathalie Regond-Planas, mayor of Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines, in charge of economic development within the CC-ACVI, Pénélope Maraval, president of the Union des poles of Mediterranean Activities (Upam) or Cyril Vanroye, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI).
Land control
Since 2017, a lot of work on land control has been carried out: of the 23.7 hectares in one piece which make up the area, 45% of the surface (i.e. 10 hectares) are already owned by the CC-ACVI. The objective is to continue amicable purchases (exchanges of plots are also possible) at the price given by the Estates, i.e. €3/m² for unused plots, €7/m² for cultivated plots. “We want to avoid going through expropriations, said Antoine Parra. But they will take place, with regret, if necessary”.
For the president, this project “very important”validated by the Region as “project of regional interest”is a unique opportunity for the economic development of the territory. Compatibility will be achieved via an adaptation of the local town planning plan which will allow zoning to be modified: this is the next administrative stage of the project. The companies that will be hosted in the area will be selected based on their activities: innovative, eco-responsible, focused on the blue economy, etc.
-1,000 jobs eventually
For Antoine Parra, it is “to create jobs that do not exist and which are likely to allow our young people to stay here”. Géraldine Cayrol, from the economic development department of the CC-ACVI, gave some figures: “Today, we need 350 job creations per year. This new economic zone should ultimately generate 1,000 jobs”.
Exchanges with the public closed the meeting, in a sometimes lively tone, particularly when the issue of water resources was raised by Corinne L’hérisson, vice-president of the Argelès nature environment association or when a resident of the zone asked on what basis it would be compensated in the event of expropriation.
Canada
