INTERVIEW. In Gestel, “we are not trying to win over residents at all costs”

Gestel (Morbihan) is the only municipality on the outskirts of Lorient to lose inhabitants according to the latest Insee figures. How to explain it? Interview with the mayor, Michel Dagorne.

While the population increases in other municipalities on the outskirts of Lorient, Gestel is losing residents. How to explain this decline?

Unlike neighboring towns, Gestel is a very small municipality in terms of surface area since it covers only 625 hectares (compared to 5,200 for Guidel, 2,390 for Quéven or 2,350 for Pont-Scorff). As a result, we don’t have the land to build on. There was also the closure of the nursing home (end of 2016), which caused us to lose 65 residents at once. But the demographic trend is expected to reverse in the years to come.

Read also: MAP. In Morbihan, with 776,103 inhabitants, demographic growth is accelerating

For what reasons?

Because many people have settled in Gestel over the last two years, with the construction of a subdivision of 37 houses in Stangalen and 24 housing units (6 houses, 18 apartments) on Place de la Gare. Other real estate projects are underway with the creation of around twenty apartments in the town center, and the rehabilitation of the old nursing home which must be transformed into 80 studios.

Despite everything, does this population decline worry you?

No. We are not trying to win over residents at all costs. There is a quality of life in Gestel that must be preserved.

What are the strengths of the municipality?

We have what we need in terms of businesses. Concerning public facilities, all that is missing is a gym. We have a school (the Jean-Guéhenno nursery school) and a recent leisure center. We also benefit from the attractiveness of the Lain area. Finally, we are close to the “four tracks” and we have a train station.

Can strengthening the timing of regional trains in the years to come with more stops at Gestel help attract new residents?

Probably. We can clearly see that more and more people are taking the train. In 2014, around 3,000 people per year passed through Gestel station. This figure increased to 6,500 in the early 2020s. And it will increase further. By train, we are only seven minutes from Lorient.