On this sunny day of school holidays in Lacanau, we are going to eat on the terrace at the Kayok, which overlooks the central beach, where we walk on the sand with the children, equipped with buckets and shovels. If the sea nibbles at an accelerated rate the central beach, the attractiveness of the seaside resort born at the beginning of the 20th century on the Atlantic coast is undeniable. In 2021, the prices of old apartments are even up by 6% (3,890 euros per m2), according to the Chamber of Notaries of the Gironde. “There is no price regulation according to the risk of erosion for the moment, as there is for other risks”, points out Eléonore Geneau, in charge of the coastal and sustainable development mission at the town hall of Lacanau.
However, the retreat of the coastline, hitherto about two meters per year, experienced a spectacular acceleration with the storms of 2013 and 2014 which exploded the protections in place and swallowed 25 meters of beach at once. The natural coastline then reached what the specialists predicted for 2040… Met on the seafront, Madeleine, 80, takes her breath of daily iodized air. “I’ve been living in Lacanau year-round for 15 years,” she says, but 1.5 km from here. The beach was bigger especially in the south, it was wild. There now, the sea goes to the natural rocks and then it collapses from time to time. A trader, who wishes to remain anonymous, castigates a lack of anticipation before the storms of 2013 and 2014 while minimizing the consequences of the erosion “which has always existed”.
1,500 homes and 150 businesses affected by a move
Nearly ten years after these devastating storms, the municipality is relaunching a new study relating to the relocation of part of its seafront, one of the scenarios envisaged, while worrying about its dikes which will soon be obsolete. Lacanau being one of the first towns in France to face head-on this galloping erosion, it finds itself facing significant legislative and financial obstacles in this race against time.
A first study on the move of the most exposed part of the ocean city was carried out in 2012-2015. His conclusion: it is a relevant but infeasible solution and the second study will have to go further. The scope concerned is significant: 1,500 housing units, 150 shops and a cost which has increased since 2012 to reach around 450 million euros “in connection with the increase in the value of goods”, underlines Eléonore Geneau. Many major questions remain unanswered, including those of knowing which operator would be designated to develop and with what funding.
Before the relocation, it will first be necessary to see those of the owners who want to sell. “Some investors may want to go elsewhere, but it is certain that there will then be no more view of the sea”, points out Hervé Cazenave, the deputy mayor in charge of the coast. The town hall is setting an example on the real estate it owns by relocating the first aid station from 2023, the car parks on the seafront in 2025 and then the house of sliding. For the moment the relocation of private goods is not financed and seems hypothetical. “While waiting for all this, the mayor has an obligation to ensure the safety of property and people. We cannot leave Lacanau fallow”, says Hervé Cazenave.
Protect above all
The cost of defense works (to be completed between 2023 and 2030) to protect the seafront from 2050 is estimated at 45 million euros. [actuels], we know that they will be obsolete in 2030. We should already have launched a partial reinforcement study and have reinforced our seafront at this time, regrets the elected official. Some decision-makers who should accompany us are doing just the opposite. »
The development partnership project contract (PPA) signed with the State at the end of last year should however speed things up. “In the case of the Lacanau work, the deadlines for administrative procedures comply with those set by law [le Code de l’environnement en particulier]from the moment the complete application file has been submitted to State services at the end of summer 2021”, estimates the services of the prefecture.
“The new climate and resilience law [qui prévoit le recours possible à un PPA] brings relatively few new things compared to what was already being done in New Aquitaine, which is very advanced thanks to its coastal GIP, believes Eléonore Geneau. The mapping of hazards, we already had it and reversible urban planning too. Everything that can be put in place at the regional level comes up against regulatory or legislative issues that depend on the national level. »
Continue to live on the seafront
While waiting for these questions to move forward, life must go on in Lacanau. This is the function of what the city calls reversible urban planning. The maritime café, for example, has fitted out its storage space in a container to avoid a solid construction. The idea is to avoid freezing the waterfront, by favoring removable elements while not increasing the number of properties exposed to erosion.
“Today, it’s difficult to know what to do, explains Hervé Cazenave. We must give ourselves respite with works because otherwise we will do anything in a state of emergency”. The city is also thinking in conjunction with the neighboring municipalities, some of which, like Carcans and Hourtin, are currently only re-sanding. One thing is certain: “The scenario where we did nothing was much more expensive than all the rest. »