On the program of discussions at the Mirabel – Lyautey neighborhood meeting, this week at the town hall: cut trees, parking spaces reserved for disabled people too often occupied by able-bodied people, the excessive speed of cars. In short, only very usual, until the intervention of local residents who mentioned the upcoming construction of a residence at rue Charles Gounod, on land sold by an individual to the promoter FDI, located at the back of the home of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the premises of Le Reservoir Massal.

An unsuccessful lawsuit

There, just a few meters from the railway line, FDI is going to build a residence made up of around twenty social housing units, which hardly enchants the neighboring residents, especially since the entrance to the future residence will be placed at the end of a small impasse, with the predictable comings and goings that ensue. What shake up the daily life of a housing estate built forty years ago, mainly populated by seniors.

“I even took a lawyer when we learned about this project”, explained to us on Tuesday a neighbor directly concerned by a project which should not take long to start. “Anyway, social housing, everyone agrees to build it, but no one wants them next to their homes,” gritted another resident, ironically.

Residents who, for some, had even taken legal action, which was unsuccessful. All this in a tense real estate context, particularly in the streets located all around the town hall (rue du Peyrou, rue du mont Saint-Loup, etc.), where several collective residences are emerging instead of individual houses, which places the growing interest of promoters for medium-sized towns like Agde and which is pushing the town hall to react by launching a revision of its local urban plan (see elsewhere).

Upstream meetings with local residents

Asked about the issue of this building permit, Sébastien Frey, 1st deputy in charge of town planning issues, confirmed that he had “several meetings with the developer and representatives of residents of the district, who had organized themselves to come and discuss this I remind you that it was after these interviews that the permit was issued, after the size of the initial project was reduced and additional parking spaces were provided.” Agde architect Philippe Escamez being responsible for studying the best possible integration of the building into its environment.

The height of the construction also raised questions in the neighborhood. Located below the current housing estate, “it will in no case exceed the height of the nearest houses”, assured Sébastien Frey.