“It has nothing to do with a lack of respect for the church”: the mayor of Passage-d’Agen gives his opinion on the installation of trash cans near the holy site

“These are not trash cans, they are voluntary drop-off points,” the mayor of the town wishes to clarify. “These points are precisely designed to cause as little noise and visual nuisance as possible. They are not in front of the church, they are located between the rear wall and the commemorative stele to the victims of the Algerian war.” These voluntary drop-off points (PAV) are installed so that the thrown waste lands more than 1.50 meters below the ground.

Hardly enough for some Passage residents, who denounced last week “a spoiled view” and “a lack of respect” towards the Saint-Joseph church, a beautiful stone and brick building built in the second half of the 19th century. Most fear abuse and the illegal dumping of trash bags all around.

Francis Garcia would like to point out one point. “For a year and a half, there were much more conspicuous PAVs next to the church, and no one said anything…A fortnight ago, the Agglomeration of Agen provided us with these containers, in part of its waste collection policy.”

“The lack of respect would be to leave waste everywhere”

The elected official has a ready response for those who accuse the municipality of letting the church become ugly. “I think that the controversy is sterile. Beforehand, I consulted Father Jérôme Pomié, of our parish. He himself did not see any major disadvantage to this implementation. He told me that he I had to put them somewhere!”

“We placed them in such a way that they do not harm the beauty of the site,” continues the mayor. “There is no disrespect to the church. Disrespect would be littering everywhere.” At the disposal of the Agglo, Francis Garcia highlights the very narrow aspect of the old streets of the town, preventing the passage of collection trucks. “This is why the Agglo installs these PAVs. Where we have ours, a dump truck has the place to come and empty them. They are equipped with a crane which lifts the container and empties it into the dumpster .”

For him, the problem lies not in the provision itself, but rather in people’s behavior. “I don’t have a miracle recipe against vandalism, but I do my best to chase down those who leave their trash in the parking lot.”

Appeal to everyone’s civic-mindedness

For a long time, Passage residents were forced to leave their trash bags out in the open due to a lack of door-to-door collection. A significant problem is animals attracted to garbage. “It was also necessary for citizens to have to travel as little as possible to throw away their waste, this is one of the rules that the Agglomerate imposes on itself.”

Concerning the apprehension of local residents about noise pollution, the mayor specifies that the boxes are soundproof. “Even if someone throws a glass bottle, as the bottom of the container is under the ground, there will not be a deafening noise. It is forbidden to throw glass between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. We must appeal to the responsibility and civic-mindedness of each person.”