Montarnaud: the collective utopia of Macondo is in danger

La structure a bénéficié de subventions. – JM

Sur place, l'association Etre œuvre à la remobilisation des jeunes. – JM

In Montarnaud, the Macondo third place brings together four associations and six companies dedicated to the ecological transition and the environment. But, on the Ecoparc du Mas Dieu, the premises, installed by the Cooperative Society of Collective Interest, are illegal according to the mayor who threatens the occupants with a penalty of 500 &euro ; per day.

They were able to create a rare model of "third places". A catch-all word which, in Montarnaud, is embodied by a biotope of associations and cooperative companies resolutely oriented towards the ecological transition. A plural structure, Macondo has been installed for 6 years in the heart of the Mas Dieu Ecoparc. The place remains the symbol of a hard-fought victory against an open-air landfill project carried out by a certain "Georges Frèche, at the late years 80", recalls  Benjamin Clouet, president of the SCIC* Macondo and co-founder of' Ecosec. Here, the Ecosec Cooperative Structure (Scop) Ecosec manufactures composters from recycled pallets… "for  l'Agglo". However, Macondo is today on reprieve after the mayor of Montarnaud, Jean-Pierre Pugens, who points out   "illegal constructions", (see box), threatens the occupants with a fine of 500 € per day.

27 jobs created, young people remobilized

"Transition Laboratory", Macondo, however, is functioning and has been able to capture subsidies from the Region and the State essential to the project. 27 jobs have been created there and young people are re-mobilized on concrete projects linked to the ecological transition. "We welcome around a hundred young people per year. This allows them to improve their skills. Here we transmit the prerequisites and basic skills to then integrate qualifying training , explains Kais, coordinator of the School of Ecological Transition, Being . "And, clearly, the first victims of the closure of the place would be these young people from all over the metropolis", slice Benjamin Clouet.

A beautiful synergy

Also based in Macondo, Mathilde Barbier manages another Scop, "Les Zuts", which could be one of the collateral victims. A sort of mini mobile home, five Tiny Houses have already been manufactured by Scop using eco-friendly and bio-sourced materials. "I've been here since the beginning. I created the Tynis project there because there is synergy between the different actors and, above all, a sharing of skills. Here, rents are moderate. We have access to a large workshop because we spent time building this place. If I have to leave, it will be complicated to find a place that offers all these criteria. And it would also be very complicated to continue selling Tinys at the same price as today."

"We are not zadists, there are only entrepreneurs here who pay their taxes, who hire… ", protests Benjamin Clouet who, construction lease in hand, (signed with the former mayor), firmly contests the illegality of  Macondo. 

* Cooperative society of collective interest

“They built without a building permit”

Jean-Pierre Pujens, mayor of Montarnaud says "tiredé that an elected official must justify the application of republican laws. They built without a building permit. I appreciate what they are doing. But just because they do interesting things doesn't mean they can forget the town planning code. I never said that I was throwing them out, I ask them to justify the building permit but there is none. The PLU prohibits building there. They have a lease à construction, an upgrade layout of land. À From there, you have to ask for a permit but, there, you have to have drinking water, use materials different from those used… " As for the subsidies, "those who paid them subsidizedé Macondo as an organization. But they did not subsidize the Macondo because he was legally convicted. (or not) on the ground. We must make the difference between the question of functioning and the basely urban planning problem.

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