“It’s a common sense decision”: the Mèze reception area opened urgently to accommodate travelers

L'aire de grand passage de Mèze a été ouverte en urgence. ARCHIVE MIDI LIBRE

Les caravanes qui occupaient le stade de Balaruc-le-Vieux en attendant la fin des travaux sur l’aire d’accueil de Frontignan ont finalement atterri… à Mèze. Provoquant la colère du maire.

It ultimately happened peacefully. In Balaruc-le-Vieux, travelers who had been occupying the municipal stadium along the D600 for several weeks left on their own this Sunday, before the intervention of the police . "The gendarmerie gave them an ultimatum and they left immediately; what interests me is that calm is returned", testifies Norbert Chaplin, the mayor of the town.

Move problem

"What worried me the most is that this place serves as a landing zone for emergency helicopters, it there are no others around", continues the mayor, who still deplores "some repairs& quot;to be carried out on the sports facility after the departure of travelers. As for the fate of the latter, there was uncertainty yesterday morning about their future destination. "We don't know at all where they are going to go, they themselves don't really know given that the Frontignan area is closed", declared Norbert Chaplin. "We are only moving the problem, they will simply tour the surrounding communities."

That’is indeed what happened, since the caravans landed… in Gigean! And more precisely on the land adjoining the Gardiole intercommunal swimming pool. Until the Agglo de Sète decided, on Sunday evening, to urgently open the main passage area of ​​Mèze, provoking the anger of the mayor of the town.< /p>

"This area is an intercommunal facility which is normally only accessible from April 1st. But given the urgency of the situation and in agreement with the prefect of Hérault, this seemed to us to be a common sense solution, specifies Sète Agglopôle Méditerranée. We could not leave these people on the road, especially since welcoming travelers is one of our mandatory skills. As long as the Frontignan area is under construction, we had no choice."

Necessary work

"The Frontignan area was completely degraded, it was absolutely necessary to carry out substantial work to provide a dignified welcome", estimates Gérard Canovas, mayor of Balaruc-les-Bains and elected official in charge of reception areas and family rental land for travelers. Started last October, the construction site which required the eviction of the last occupants should end next May. "I can guarantee you that the Agglopôle did everything it could", guarantees the elected official . "Our priority is to finish the work as quickly as possible so that people can return to the area" , concludes Gérard Canovas.

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