Commerce in the city center of Béziers: the vacancy of premises animates the debates of the municipal council

Commerce in the city center, an important issue for Béziers. Midi Libre – E.B.

The vacancy rate of commercial premises in the city center of Béziers, which is around 15 to 16%, occupied the debates of the municipal council this Monday, March 25. Despite actions taken by the City and the systems in place, the results are not there.

"The situation is difficult for city centers. Where is the vacancy rate for businesses ?", asks Thierry Antoine, regarding the heart of the city of Riquet. This Monday, March 25 in the evening, the town hall welcomes the municipal council. Thanks to a deliberation on the municipality's membership in the "City Center Managers' Club", the elected environmentalist, in opposition, launched the discussion and requests information on this central topic. "There is no huge change compared to 2018", he emphasizes again. "However, in Sète for example, the vacancy rate is 3.7%. So what is this rate here and what are the other priority actions carried out ?"

"Is that enough ? No !"

"When we arrived it was at 25 %, today it’s between 15 and 16 %& quot;, replies Mayor Robert Ménard. "Things are complicated." And this despite several actions , such as financial aid for the renovation of facades and windows, despite raising awareness among real estate agencies or even the acquisition of premises via a property investment set up with Viaterra (the mixed economy company of urban development), the Banque des Territoires and the Caisse d’Épargne with the aim of renting at reasonable prices… "Is that enough ? No !", recognizes the chief magistrate, also announcing that commerce, as is already the case for security, falls directly under his cabinet. Way of showing the priority given to this problem which remains without a real solution in a context of a sociologically poor city center. "There is no magic recipe!"

"We don't stand idly by"

MP Emmanuelle Ménard, for her part, underlined her request to the State to make the Urban Free Zone system, advantageous for entrepreneurs, coincide with that of "Action coeur de ville" for greater efficiency. "We don't stand idly by but it’s very complicated", she also noted.

Note that the representative of the City of Béziers within the city center managers club will be Sébastien Saez.

No return from the Friday market in the city center

"Could the return of the Friday market improve things ?", consider& ;nbsp;opposition municipal councilor Anne-Marie Resseguier. As a reminder, the market is now located at the Raoul-Barrière stadium, which is causing discontent among many fairground workers. "No", Robert Ménard categorically retorts, referring to the incivility complained of by traders and residents in the city center. And to develop another argument: "There are 60-70 places, there are 180 fairground workers who come regularly. So I asked them for a list and I never got a response. They never got along."

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