These are elected officials embarrassed at the surroundings who presented themselves to the residents of the Theven district, in Santec, this Friday, May 24, 2024, on the outskirts of a freshly turned sand site. The meeting was organized after residents discovered, without being warned, major works on the dune, a few meters from the beach which adjoins the Natura 2000 zone.
The day before, construction machines dug and turned over the ground to a depth of 1.80 m to create a sandy area measuring 30 m by 20 m, or approximately 1,000 m², intended to accommodate three beach volleyball courts, notably for Heol Santec, the volleyball club.
It was the municipality which decided on this work. She thus wanted to respond to a request from volleyball players looking for a space where they could install courts to practice beach volleyball, outside of Dossen beach. “With the tides and the wind, we are limited in the number of slots to offer training in this discipline where we have more and more requests,” explains the president of the club which has 215 members, including around fifty beach practitioners. -volleyball. So-called “non-sand” land – such as in Saint-Renan or Vannes – makes it possible to expand the offer.
“We are not building anything lasting”
For the municipality – which wanted “nothing other than to help an association”, recalls mayor Bernard Le Pors – the ideal solution was found in this plot, located rue du Gulf Stream. Land belonging to the Fondation des Apprentis d’Auteuil, purchased by the Department and unused since.
It will take decades to repair! From an environmental point of view, it’s as if we had cut down a forest!
The mayor requested authorization from the departmental council to undertake this work. Authorization that they obtained last week, with precise conditions so as not to harm the environment. This plot is, in fact, classified NL, that is to say in a natural zone but with authorization for camping and leisure activities.
“We are not building anything lasting. The club comes with its equipment which is removable. Above all, this land is ephemeral. We occupy it until September 1st. ” Afterwards ? “Nature will reclaim its rights,” assures the mayor. Because the Department will redevelop the land, starting in November, to restore its dune character.
“It’s ecocide”
Residents have heard all these arguments and all say that they “are not against beach volleyball”. But they remain totally shocked by the scale of the earthworks. “We too were impressed,” admit the mayor and his deputy in charge of associations, Frédéric Jacob. When questioned, the Department clarified that it was not aware of the details of the site.
“It’s ecocide. It can take twenty years for vegetation to take root in the sand before stabilizing. There, it’s over… It will take decades to repair! From an environmental point of view, it’s as if we had cut down a forest! », says a local resident, member of Friends of the Coast. And to mention protected species, such as orchids. The local residents are perplexed: “Doing this when there is so much emphasis on protecting the dune barrier? We don’t understand…” Added to this is the fact that the project was not announced either in council or in the neighborhood. Bernard Le Pors and his deputy admit to having “been perhaps too quickly. We didn’t realize the extent of the work and what it would cause. »
Legal action under study
While the France Nature Environnement association is already studying the possibility of legal action – “a plot classified NL is not intended to be returned”, recalls one of the local residents – the elected officials want to calm things down . “All this makes us think. But before we decide anything, we need more information. » A neighbor deplored: “The damage is done…” For another, “there is no bad intention but it is a monumental error”.
