Marcel Dassault, founder of the Dassault Aviation group, moved to Coignières (Yvelines) in the 1960s to build the Villa du Golf, a replica of the Petit Trianon de Versailles surrounded by a huge forest, straddling the municipalities of Saint-Rémy-l'Honoré and Jouars-Pontchartrain. His son Serge Dassault came there regularly to hunt on weekends. But since the death of deputy Olivier Dassault in a helicopter accident in March, the three heirs have decided to sell the family estate. If the frame has not yet found a buyer, the timber just put up for sale seems to be of more serious interest.
"I wrote to the departmental council of Yvelines, and to the regional council of Ile-de-France via the Agency for green spaces and the latter would be potentially interested," indicates the mayor (DVG) of Coignières, Didier Fischer. I also warned Safer (Land development and rural establishment companies) because there is a right of first refusal to resell these plots to farmers. "
The Île-de-France Roads Department (Dirif) is looking for a lot ranging from 15 to 20 hectares to acquire.
The configuration of the Coignières forest could meet this need, if the plot could be detached from the global sale.
“As part of road operations for which Dirif is the contracting authority, we have to compensate for their impact on wooded areas by purchasing new forest areas,” indicates the organization.
These woods are then handed over to the ONF (National Forestry Office) for management.
Discussions are also already underway between the Dassault family and a private investment land group specializing in the management of green spaces, particularly in central France.
"In principle, we cannot raze the forest", assures the mayor
Whatever the final buyer, the municipality wants to be reassuring about the future of this protected natural space.
"On the local town planning plans of the three municipalities concerned, it is classified as an unbuildable natural zone," continues Didier Fischer.
In principle, therefore, the forest cannot be razed.
The municipality will be extremely vigilant about this.
The city councilor would like to take the opportunity to make the place accessible to as many people as possible.
Currently, only a public hiking trail crosses the forest, with “private property” signs on either side.
"There could be more access for Coigniériens, that's part of the discussions," concludes the mayor.
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