Agri-food hub, health hub, logistics warehouse, artisanal village…: what the new project will include to replace Amazon in Fournès

Visual of the site entrance (non-contractual). – Faubourg Promotion document.

The previous project (an Amazon logistics base), in this area near the A9 exit, had given rise to strong opposition. A new mixed project and more concerning, which would generate 250 jobs)   was presented  to the inhabitants and then to the elected officials of the territory by the town hall of Fournès and the leader of the Faubourg Promotion project (IDEC group). 

The La Pâle area, in Fournès, is located in the immediate vicinity of the A9 interchange (Remoulins-Pont-du-Gard). An almost direct take on the A9 which is quite exceptional. Chazli  Baalbaki, deputy general director of Faubourg Promotion and Mariia Sniegur, development manager recognize this: such spaces are not opportunities that we see every day. However, since   2008, the various projects attempted in this area were unsuccessful.

Since the abandonment of Amazon, several project avenues 

After a brand village project, which failed in 2015, then a logistics base  Amazon,  definitely buried in 2021 after sinking a lot of money. ink ; after various requests from economic actors for projects which were unsuccessful or  refused by the municipality (& quot;because there is no interest in the territory", explains the mayor), or even making contact with the  common with the Grands Buffets de Narbonne (who declined the offer), it is therefore a new project that the commune of Fournès presented on Tuesday January 23.

A private project without public investment

 This is a completely private project, ("there is no investment public", assured Mayor Thierry Boudinaud) but developed in consultation with the elected officials of Fournès. Faubourg Promotion and the   municipality had chosen to reserve the premiere of the presentation for the inhabitants of the village during a public meeting which attracted a full house. A new project which  is intended to be plural and mixed, and above all more relevant for the population and whose number of job creations is estimated at 250.  

The first presentation of the project by the town hall and the project leader was reserved for the inhabitants of the town, who came in large numbers. Midi Libre – A.P.

Agrifood center (a restaurant, a local house) are mentioned in particular; a health center (elected officials wish in particular to propose an offer in ;nbsp; medical  imaging, not very present in the territory) and  veterinary; an artisanal village to accommodate artisans or SMEs or start-ups; followed as part of the ClaenTech valley or even relay workshops like in Théziers. And finally a logistics platform of 37,960 m². 

Non-contractual visual of the restaurant.

Question on the nature of the logistics warehouse and the flow of trucks

During the meeting, there was a lot of talk about co-construction, consultation and dialogue. Elements that had been missing during the Amazon project.  The question of the logistics warehouse (which products, which customer ?)  and the flow of trucks that it could generate have legitimately worried some citizens.

"95% of truck traffic is linked directly to the 'A9", assured the representatives of Faubourg Promotion who  will refuse any storage of dangerous products. Issues linked to water, (food, runoff) and compensation measures were also mentioned.

 Thierry Boudinaud specified that the project had been presented to the prefect and that all remarks related to the environment would of course be examined with the greatest possible be careful. 

The desire for consultation and "transparency"

The mayor declared himself very satisfied with  the quality of listening and exchanges with the public; ensuring that we want to be part of a process of transparency. Clearly, if ever  Amazon wanted to come back in the project through the   logistics base,   the answer would be "No". "Even beyond the brand, this type of activity is not what we want"< /em> assures Chazli Baalbaki. In its presentation, the group  emphasized its attention to environmental issues.