“People do want social housing… but away from home.
This is how real estate developer Sébastien Paris sums it up.
The project to build 27 social housing units divided into three buildings in Villenoy came up against a municipal decree prohibiting the circulation of vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes in rue de l'Arquebuse, where the future site is located.
The administrative court of Melun has just canceled this decision of the mayor.
The project extends over 1,400 m², below the Ourcq canal.
The argument of the mayor, Emmanuel Hude (SE) who did not wish to speak in our columns, is based on the risks of flooding, as stated by the judge in chambers of the administrative court.
It is, according to the municipal majority, to preserve the state of the roadway of this small street victim of very important floods in June 2018 and in July 2021. However if construction machinery, necessarily weighing more than 3.5 tons indicated, pass by, "the condition of the roadway is not able to maintain this conservation".
According to the municipality, the roadway was weakened by flooding, the consequences of the overflow of the nearby Rutel ru as well as underground leaks after a buried pipe broke under the effect of the passage of a vehicle of just over 3, 5 tons, last December.
Read alsoTen years of waiting for social housing in Greater Paris
However, the judge was surprised that these arguments were not accepted against “public transport vehicles as well as (the) household waste collection vehicles”.
Consequently, the magistrate considers that the decree taken by the town hall is "tainted by a manifest error of assessment" and that consequently it must be suspended.
Especially since, according to the administrative judge, the mayor's motivations are to look elsewhere.
“He (has) on several occasions publicly stated his opposition to the (social housing) project accepted by his predecessor.
The mayor's motives would therefore, still according to the magistrate, be to “prevent the authorized project from being carried out, at least to make it materially more difficult and therefore more expensive and likely to affect its economic balance.
»
"Misuse of power", accuses the promoter's lawyer
The building permit for this site was granted by the previous majority.
Permit which, according to the administrative court, is legal and definitive.
The new mayor Emmanuel Hude would like social housing never to see the light of day, according to promoter Sébastien Paris and his lawyer, Me Jérôme Lefort.
“It's an incredible affair since we see the mayor's fierce opposition.
»
Read alsoFloods in Villenoy: 60,000 m3 of water to be pumped
New twist to date, the mayor had the municipal council vote for the pre-emption of the land.
“It's possible, but you need a structuring project, but there isn't one,” notes Sébastien Paris.
This is a delaying tactic to prevent the construction project.
Me Jérôme Lefort drives the point home: “The reason for pre-emption is false and crazy.
I claim loud and clear that there is a misuse of power.
This new development is again in the hands of the judges of the administrative court.
Judges who, three times already, dismissed the town hall of Villenoy.
