Sadly, that is so… or has been in the past. Nowadays it should be becoming rarer and rarer.
One thing to remember… if one does nothing, then one has no comeback or room for complaint against what might happen with the Site, even if it becomes detrimental to one’s own property and lifestyle.
Incidentally, turning a Hangar into a Building will require full planning permission which means it goes higher than just the Mairie/local council…
Although the Maire’s approval will be taken into consideration, the whole project will be assessed way above his head and if there is Public Concern being voiced, then things might not be as easy to get authorised as the encumbent Maire might think…
In my view, if one has doubts/worries… they need airing now, before it is too late.
EDIT: @Barney1 which Department are you in???
This is great input. I have been off grid for a day or so as I have tested positive for Covid, so not firing on all cylinders.
There was a reunion municipal on Friday evening which I could not attend, others went to represent, but did visit the Mairie that afternoon and spoke to the mayor through the window at a distance. She explained the meeting as a closed meeting, so can attend but not speak unless invited by the mayor. This is just a prelim, and assured me of a public meeting where all can have their say. I’m glad we got our petition and this request to the mayor and council before this meeting. A week ago rumours spread of a vote and the matter would be concluded. I asked for a September public meeting due to holidays, but she said it would be by the end of July. Since that meeting a date has come forth, 10th September.
We are now organising meetings to gather all our points, prior to this date. So all the advice coming forward from you and others are a great help.
We’re in the Puy de Dome. Our petition is 17 from the village, le bourg, of approx 34 from which a further 10 don’t want to get involved. Others are dog breeders. None of the chasse live in the village.
Further, after meetings with chasse members, whom I am friends with, they know I support their need for a new cabanne but one that works for everybody. This whole process by the council has been very guarded. The hunters new of this project but none in the village did. I am now happier it is now out in the open for a fair and constructive discussion. Just very disappointed none of the council members, who I saw looking at the site and said good day to, or the chasse, came to us their potential new neighbours for a chat.
I’m afraid I can’t offer any advice but I hope this gets sorted to your satisfaction. Do keep us updated!
Rightly or wrongly La Chasse is an emotive subject in many parts of France.
I do feel it is important that your carefully considered reservations about this project… are aired in Public.
It is rare for a permission to be later overturned, so the need for good preparation and presentation is important.
Best of luck.
EDIT I am friends with the leaders of the 3 Chasse in our commune… so not anti-chasse by any means. Our lot are good souls, but I am aware of (and have been present at) some of their rather noisy happenings in their “headquarters”… and would not want to be living alongside 'em.
Locally, the headquarters are well away from ordinary souls… it seems daft to deliberately construct a building so close to a private dwelling…'cos that’s what they are doing… is your commune so short of land???
Hi Gareth, thanks for your kind words.
I hope as neighbours we can all resolve this situation to everyone’s satisfaction.
Will keep you posted.
As you say it is an emotive subject and rumours abound which cannot be substantiated, but are aired by some of the locals… another agreement/deal in the background linking the chasse and the mayor?
However, we can only concentrate on what we know and not on hearsay.
The commune is not small for the region and the chasse themselves are landowners.
We have to put our case forward in regards to the life of the village and the people in it and the needs of the chasse, and hopefully the open discussion will guide us away from the present proposal and get us working together rather than in conflict to find a location for a the cabanne.
Are you in a zone where you were supposed to be informed and given the opportunity to bid on any land being sold adjacent to your land? Ask the notaire you bought through. Normally I’d ask the mairie but not on this obvs.
Il y a une priorité d’achat par les fonds voisins uniquement pour les parcelles classées en “bois et taillis”.
nothing to lose by asking the question… depends what land the hangar is on… if it’s not on “building land” I would have thought that enough of a problem to stop the project…
Thanks Karen we will approach our notaire, we also have an architect on our team.
Hi Stella as I said to Karen we have an architect on our team so will ask the question.
@Barney1 please let us know what happens on this.
Hi Guys,
Just a bit covid fatigued and fuzzy at the mo.
The latest is a formal email from the mayor, this morning, for an open public discussion on Sat 10th Sept, also a change of title:
Formerly “local de chasse” to “local associatif communale”?
The commune has just finished spending A LOT of money doing up the salle des fetes, so this one, however you wrap it up, will be the chasse clubhouse! The expenditure is detailed on a board outside of the Salle de Fetes so I will take a photo.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out… it’s amazing what gets dressed up with nice words, but really means “clubhouse”… (I speak with experience… bad experience, sadly)
Get your dossier together… fingers crossed.
Proceed quickly. @JaneJones might know better, but this looks like your real hope of stopping it if you need to, is via the Prefecture.
The date of that meeting is surely significant? All the mates back from holiday, and very little time before the season opens.
I can imagine lots of promises to push this through quickly, that won’t be kept even if made in writing. Who’s going to enforce them? The…er… mairie?
Hi guys, apologies for the delayed update since the 12 July, our covid positive test and the summer hols.
However, here is the promised update for those who are interested in " La cabanne de chasse to be our new neighbours!
To say the lest the last couple of months has been a testing time!
As a recap:
25 June we discovered the cabanne to arrive next to our property 34m from our house and next to our garden.
29 June the mayor told me this was to arrive “definitivement”, twice!
1 July a municipal meeting was posted on the Mairie notice board for the 8 July at 9pm, for a vote.
3 July started a petition, by the 5 July had 17 signatures in a village of approx 35.
6 July petition with a request for a public meeting submitted to the council.
8 July afternoon spoke to the mayor outside the Mairie (cos tested positive) and requested a public meeting in Sept because of holidays, but was told no it will be held late July.
12 July, municipal meeting minutes posted indicating a public meeting for the 10 Sept in the salles de fetes.
Ok, deep breath. We had the public meeting on the 10 Sept. Our petition numbers have now swelled to 24. As to expect there was tension and it went on for 2 hours.
During the meeting I gave my opinions in my best bad french, arguing my points. I also apologised to the Mayor, council, public and hunters families for the slight aggressive nature of the petition but also insisted the reason we were at the public meeting was because of the petition to discuss and the need to work together not against each other. I also made an offer, in front of the council, commune and hunters. That’s when not if we find a place for the cabin that works for all, I will help them build the cabin ( I’m a builder and chippy).
The next municipal meeting was the following Friday 16 Sept, 9pm. All our documents, objections etc and an architect’s report (one of our signatories) were submitted to the council on the 14 Sept prior to this meeting.
Remember this is the Mayors land, selling to the commune for the benefit of the chasse, 2 of which sit on the council. Conflict of interest???
I went to this meeting and after 2 hours of discussion, not all council members are in favour and have warned of objections and long and costly delays to any planning application (the mayor wanted to start building March 2023). It was decided to investigate 5 further locations, AND TO TALK TO ANY POTENTIAL NEIGHBOURS. At last common sense prevails rather than trying to rush something through sneakily.
The latest, an architect (one of our signatories) has been asked to draw up drawings for one of these locations, with another location under serious consideration.
The next municipal meeting is around Oct 14. This is not over, however the signs are growing more positive by the day. I was once told “never go against the chasse”. However, when you know and live amongst a community, including chasseurs, there must be some sort of discussion and compromise.
The chasseurs need a new cabin and we as a group are not against the chasse and it’s traditions but need to work together to find the right place that works for everybody not just one group.
I will keep you posted of any further developments. Thanks for your patience.
Well done, Barney1.
Don’t drop your guard. Looking at so many other locations might be a smokescreen.
Please keep us informed.
I hope your mayor is a good sport.
Thanks Karen,
Our Mayor s also our neighbour owning the fields around our property. So every time there’s a problem with the calves I take a photo and visit the mayor. A visit this July prompted an immediate rescue attempt as a 2 hour old calf rolled under some barbed wire whilst being washed by mum, into a narrow 5 foot ditch over grown with nettles.
So we do try to get to get along.
WE HAVE A VOTE
The last council meeting was Monday. We had a visit from the mayor who tried to change our mind. NON! So after 10 months of council meetings, petitioners meetings, neighbours meetings, , Mairie meetings… we have a result:
of 11 councillors 2 were absent.
1 abandon the project.
3 next to our home.
5 another location near the village.
We are happy the project has been moved away from our home, sadly with 75% of the village voting for it to be moved outside the village, this has been ignored/discarded. So not that happy.
As a community we have moved a mountain, pro actively.
So, as expats … yes you can make a difference… but get to know your community and get involved. My French is not good however the phrase," je parle francaise comme vache Epagnol" works well, breaks the ice and makes bonds.
So we are working with the council and with all the petitioners to make this new location work aesthetically for all, the hunters, villagers and the commune.
Any Q’s, we’re here
Thanks for reading/listening and support.