Rennes Métropole is attractive. Economically, it is also struggling to meet the growing demand from businesses that want to set up or expand. “There is a vital need for building land, but it cannot be found. We have great difficulty setting up businesses, ”a specialist real estate agent recently told us. To continue to welcome economic activity, the metropolis had targeted a few sites such as the Hil area in Noyal-Châtillon-sur-Seiche or the Petite Touche Aury, between Cesson-Sévigné and Chantepie (Ille-et- Ugly).
For the latter, the future seems compromised. The public inquiry conducted in May to assess the relevance of building up land reserves flopped. More than 250 people contested the project and the commissioner had no choice but to give an unfavorable opinion. Using very strong words to justify himself. “This project of land reserves for an area intended to accommodate structuring activities is not appropriate because it is no longer consistent with changes in the local residential context, nor with new societal behaviors, nor with the various approaches. undertaken by Rennes Métropole for a renewal of economic development that is more efficient in terms of land, ”writes the commissioner. “We are promised not to nibble on the land and there we are talking about sacrificing 35 hectares of land, mostly agricultural. It’s inconsistent, ”criticizes Jean-Charles de Lanzac, resident of Cesson and opponent of the project.
The mayor of Cesson-Sévigné expresses doubts
This Saturday at 11 am, his collective “against the ZAE de la Touche Aury project” is planning a rally to denounce this idea of an activity zone. He pleads for a location less greedy in agricultural land. The investigating commissioner goes in the same direction. “Alternative locations can be identified for the economic development of the metropolitan area. The urgency to acquire is not proven. The public inquiry also noted the “disadvantages of the project on the environmental, human, social and health level” which are considered “excessive in relation to the interest it presents”.
Thursday evening, the metropolis announced that it renounced to proclaim the declaration of public utility. Without abandoning his project. “A working group bringing together representatives of the two municipalities and Rennes Métropole will be set up to study in detail the remarks made within the framework of the public inquiry”, summarizes the institution. Before specifying that “activities requiring large plots are an essential foundation for the entire metropolitan economic system. Rennes Métropole does not wish to transfer responsibility for hosting these support activities to neighboring territories ”.
Contacted, the mayor of Cesson-Sévigné also expressed doubts about the usefulness of this land acquisition. “These points of vigilance are likely to call into question the very usefulness of the project if they were not taken into account by the metropolis and in fact condition the agreement of our municipality to this project”, had indicated Jean -Pierre Savignac in a letter to the investigating commissioner. The latter particularly regretted that the two young farmers were driven from their land.