After the mountain of gold and Europacity, conservationists have a new battle horse.
This Saturday, between 150 and 200 associations and elected officials, including national EELV executives and their head of the list for the regional elections in Hauts-de-France, Karima Delli, gathered near Berck (Pas-de-Calais), to protest against the giant Tropicalia greenhouse project.
Read also: Tropicalia, this giant greenhouse that creates controversy
In the presence of the LFI deputy Ugo Bernalicis, the EELV MEP Yannick Jadot and the mayor of Grenoble EELV Eric Piolle, between 150 people, according to the prefecture, and 200 according to EELV, gathered near some 9 hectares of agricultural land transformed into “
Concerted development zone
” in 2010, between the municipalities of Verton and Rang-du-Fliers.
“
This project, silly, absurd, does not hold water.
It is from another time.
You should not be fooled by a lark mirror to bring out yet another white elephant
, ”Julien Bayou, EELV national secretary, told AFP, contacted by telephone.
According to him, the fields in question promised to artificialization should be used in particular to feed the canteens, in organic, and the public authorities should develop "
ecotourism, a more resistant solution
", in the region.
“
What's good for the climate is good jobs,
” he repeated.
In support of the MEP and head of the EELV regional list, the only candidate capable according to him to engage Hauts-de-France "
in this direction
", he denounced a "
Xavier Bertrand (president of the regional council, ex-LR) which squanders public funds on projects that make no sense
”.
This greenhouse with a 20,000 m2 and 35 m high dome, which will house butterflies, hummingbirds, fish, reptiles and exotic trees, will be the largest tropical greenhouse in the world, according to its promoters.
Estimated at 73 million euros, this project is partially subsidized by the region (2 million euros loan), the urban community (400,000 euros) and European funds (10 million).
The developers obtained a building permit at the end of 2019 against which an appeal was filed with the administrative courts.
A hearing should be held by the end of the summer, according to the prefecture on Saturday.
On December 20, around 150 opponents of the project had already demonstrated.
