Agglo Béziers Méditerranée: a climbing room project that surprises opposition elected officials

The Agglo is carrying out a project to develop a sports center around the Palais des sports. Midi Libre

Les élus se sont réunis lundi soir à Servian, salle de La Parenthèse. Midi Libre – M.A.

This Monday, September 23, during the Béziers Méditerranée Agglo council meeting, some elected officials discovered the existence of a project for a “modern and innovative climbing gym, intended to have a regional influence” and a skate park on the site of the new Palais des sports located in the Mazeran area of ​​Béziers. An operation whose cost is estimated at 10 million euros.

“For such an important point, I found the way of proceeding very cavalier.” The day after the municipal council of Agglo Béziers Méditerranée, which met this Monday, September 23 in Servian, Florence Taillade, elected representative from Valras sitting in the opposition, returns to her intervention: “The file is interesting but we had no information beforehand…”

The file in question concerns the construction of a climbing hall and a skate park on the site of the sports hall, in the Mazeran area of ​​Béziers, with the aim of creating a “climbing and urban sports centre”. An operation whose cost is estimated at nearly 10 million euros. "About ten days ago, a meeting was held to which all the mayors were invited, this project was never discussed…" Florence Taillade, however, voted for this deliberation "because the project seems interesting to me", she justifies. “It's the way the file is managed that appeals to me.”

“We are kept away from any information”

Still in the opposition, the mayor of Sauvian Bernard Auriol as well as the two elected officials from Sauvian voted against, as did the three elected officials from Sérignan via their proxies. “We are kept away from any information. Yes, we are in the opposition but we must provide explanations when we ask people to vote for such projects. It comes out of a hat. And the cost is monumental."

"We have been working on it for many years", asserts Michel Ramondou, in charge of major works for the Agglo, this Tuesday. “The idea was to complete a sports facility. Because there is a large parking lot. And a plot of 23,000 m2 between the padel and the sports palace. We worked with clubs that do not have a venue today, there is a significant reflection with a programmer that resulted in the project of a climbing room that will be operated by a third party."

A climbing room with a sporting and international vocation

"It is a climbing room with a sporting and international vocation to be able to host competitions. The positioning is more sporty than fun." The local clubs that are Mégalithe and the French Alpine Club would have slots to practice. But at the same time, "it will also be possible to come with a subscription or with an hourly formula", explains Michel Ramondou.

Work has thus been carried out with the French Mountain and Climbing Federation with the aim of obtaining approval for the hall to host competitions. It will therefore have a 16-metre high wall and be sized to accommodate up to 1,000 people over an area of ​​approximately 2,500 m2.

Next November, the Agglo elected officials will have to approve the programme. Then, the competition for project management will be launched with the aim of choosing an architect. “The objective is to deliver the building by the end of 2027”, Michel Ramondou further explains. The cost of the operation was estimated at 9.8 million euros.

A DSP (public service delegation) procedure will designate the professional responsible for operating the hall “taking into account the objectives of the community and according to precise specifications.”

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