These are 720 m of asphalt road which has been creating a stir in Pont-Sainte-Maxence (Oise) for several years.
Started in 1991 then stopped before resuming in 2018, the construction of the Felgueiras road, supposed to open up the Terriers district and connect it to departmental road 120, was not a long, quiet river.
In particular, the clearing of a 2.4 ha forest where 46 animal species and one protected plant species resided.
Also read “All that for a road”: the mayor of Pont wants to open up the neighborhood, 47 protected species threatened
Environmental defenders then stepped up to the plate, particularly the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO), which appealed to the administrative court of Amiens (Somme).
Although the work was completed a year ago, the association has nevertheless won its case.
“We probably won’t stop there”
In a decision dated Monday March 11, the administrative court of Amiens pronounced “the annulment of the decree of October 27, 2021 by which the prefect of Oise granted the municipality of Pont-Sainte-Maxence a exemption from the prohibitions on the destruction, alteration or degradation of breeding sites or resting areas of animals, protected animal species and destruction of protected plant species as part of the development of the service of the Terriers district”.
Something to rejoice the members of the LPO.
“This decision clearly proves that, contrary to what the Oise prefecture and the town of Pont-Sainte-Maxence maintained, not everything was perfectly legal in this work,” underlines Olivier Robert, delegate of the association in the 'Oise.
We wanted to push through and rely on the slowness of administrative justice procedures.
The judges clearly stated that the conditions for exemption from the bans on the destruction of sites sheltering protected species were not met.
»
Read alsoParis: environmental associations are shaking up the real estate projects planned above the ring road
The Oise prefecture should therefore not have granted authorization to the town of Pont-Sainte-Maxence in 2021. But between the prefectural decree and its cancellation, the work was finalized and the road has since been open to the circulation.
“I confirm that it is borrowed by the residents, for the rest…” indicates the mayor (LR), Arnaud Dumontier, who refuses to make any comments on the court’s decision.
Will the victory of the LPO come after the battle?
Today it seems unlikely to undo what has been built.
“We will probably not stop there,” warns Olivier Robert.
We are in the process of consulting our lawyers to consider the outcome of this matter.
It would be too easy to complete work and not worry about the decision of the administrative court which was rendered after the end of the project.
»