seven years later, what has become of the former ZAD of Notre-Dame-des-Landes?

Friday January 17, 2025the zadists of Notre-Dame-des-Landes celebrated a double victory: that of the 7th anniversary of the abandonment of the airport project on the one hand and the signing of leases which will make it possible to perpetuate the occupied agricultural land.

Loire-Atlantique: around 160 inhabitants

Should we say STERN or ex-ZAD ? For these inhabitants of the former “zone to be defended”, this is not a subject: “It’s as we want” declares Nicolas, resident of the hamlet of Liminbout and Zadist from the beginning since 2012.

“I live in the collective place “The new without names”, because the habitat of the “without names” had been destroyed on April 9, 2018 by the police” he relates, “it is no longer a no-go zone. right now.”

7 years after the abandonment of the airport project by the government Edouard Philippein 2018, “most of the old people are still there and few have left” adds Cecile sheep breeder in Liminbout also.

They are approximately 160 people to live in a quarantine places and collective housing where cultural life, local activities, market gardening and crafts juxtapose.

Around forty places to perpetuate

Their priority today is to perpetuate the buildings and rebuild:

These habitats are those that the promoters of the airport project did not succeed in destroying at the time because they were prevented from doing so, or they are those which were destroyed like in Planchettes. Since then, we have been negotiating with the department to rebuild, perpetuate, regularize and enter into a regulatory framework.

The common space of the Rolandière where a library was installed on the first floor, is one of the historic places that was not destroyed in the struggles.

The ZAD represented 1 650 hectaresdont 1,200 of agricultural land . Today there are around fifteen peasant projects which have been installed by the movement, between breeding, market gardening and cereals, on a land area of ​​approximately 500 hectares of earth.

They do not occupy all the STERN because “400 hectares are cultivated by other resistance fighters and there is also land that farmers had agreed to sell to Vinci in exchange for compensation,” he specifies.

A new victory: five places acquired

If the Zadists encounter obstacles with certain elected officials like those of Vigneux-de-Bretagnethat they suspect of slowing down the procedures allowing them to sign other leases, Thursday January 16, 2025 the day before the 7th anniversary of the bocage, they celebrated a new victory.

The signature of long leases with the department of Loire-Atlantique, grants to the endowment fund Common land quasi-ownership of a first batch of five places :

Something has changed since yesterday with the signing of a 25-year lease, plus ten years with the department, five places have become the collective property of an endowment fund.

This signature should allow them regularization and the stabilization of the frame. They hope to acquire a second lot later.

A platform of support for residents

They are counting today 500 signatories from their platform of support for the inhabitants and farmers of the bocage:

“Among them, associations, agricultural structures such as the GAB network, AMAPs or even the Peasant Confederation, as well as parents of students, workers and even craftsmen” specifies Nicolas.

This forum wishes to be able to open dialogue with the municipality of Vigneux-de-Bretagne with a view to obtaining building permit a you water and electricity connectionon other shared housing sites.

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