At least 14 months of work for a “landscape stroll” in the city center of this commune in the Somme

See my news
Follow The Revival of Neufchâtel

In a word of introduction to the project to requalify the city center of Poix-de-Picardie (Somme), Christian Leroy, director of the company V2R engineering and environment announced at the public meeting of November 18: “We estimate the duration of the work to be 14 months » .

To which Rose-France Delaire, mayor, hastened to intervene: “It will be 14 months maximum » . This means that the subject arouses tension. The elected official, however, certified: “We have received the budgetary and administrative green lights. The planning permission has been granted to us.” After several years of negotiations, the city center requalification project is well and truly launched.

“Landscape walk”

It was also necessary to decide on an idea that was gaining ground in the commune: the reopening of La Poixcrossing the city center in its length. Eventually, the river will remain buriedconsidered incompatible with the Sunday market and financially too heavy to get off the ground.

Among the guiding ideas of the project, Christian Leroy diagnoses: “The town center of Poix-de-Picardie is un immense parking. Ultimately, this will be a problem for attractiveness.”

Supporting the survey, he says: “The young generation wants tranquility, nature, well-being and conviviality in city centers. This data must be taken into account because it is a project which concerns 50 years to come » , before listing: “We therefore designed the next town center of Poix according to four criteria: commercial dynamisml’improvement of the living environmentthe ecological transition and the renaturation of the city. Aesthetically, it will have the shape of a landscape walk » .

Islands of freshness

Structural to the city center requalification project, theadaptation to climate change seems to have been the cornerstone of the reflection. The director of V2R expertise: “We must prepare city centers for an increase in four degrees. On the territory, this will materialize by more intense rain et more frequent heatwave episodes. Cooling islands will be essential, and a renovation of the Poix sanitation network is essential to mitigate the risk of flooding.”

Places in the “minute zone”

In terms of parking, a subject of concern for traders, the requalification project provides 182 placesa little less than the current 190. A slight decrease offset by better “zoning”: part of the places will be in zone « minute »to promote local commerce, blue zone will allow parking for one to two hours (remains to be determined), and the free zones located behind the village hall will be reserved for so-called “suction cup” cars.

14 months of work in the city center

If the assembly present during the public meeting welcomed the requalification project, the question of the work aroused great concern among the traders, who fear for their turnover. To mitigate the loss of attractiveness during the long period of the work to come, the work will be carried out in five phaseswith the aim of permanently keeping parking spaces close to businesses.

The first sods are planned for the first quarter 2025again according to Christian Leroy, and will concern the burying of networks.

“The bulk of the work” will follow with the renovation of the sanitation network. In this regard, two retention basins will be installed to, among other things, prevent the risk of flooding. The schedule provides for no less than eleven weeks work on this part.

The third phase of the work, on the part “ Water-lighting“, should last 8 weeks. After which, the development work surface area can begin. It will be necessary to count at least 18 weeks to bring the next town center of Poix-de-Picardie to life.

In terms of budget, although the details of the accounts have not been revealed, Rose-France Delaire mentions a total cost of 3.7 million eurospour a municipal envelope of 1.2 million.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.