In Toulouse, residents mobilized to defend their urban farm project
They were twenty, this Wednesday, April 27, gathered in front of the wasteland of Bordeblanche, in the district of Pradette, to protest against the decision of the municipality of Toulouse. Members of the Natures Pradettes association, it is here that they have imagined, since 2019, the agro-urban oasis project, consisting of a 10,000 m2 vegetable farm, a 600 m2 educational garden and of a shared garden. On this same site, the overall development plan provides for the construction of 375 housing units and the town hall had given the association 18 months to present a viable project. With a deadline of April 1.
On April 14, the verdict fell, with a detailed opinion. A cold shower for the project leaders, who do not understand the decision. The elected representatives of the municipal majority put forward several arguments to justify their decision, including a shortfall of 3.8 million euros linked to the abandonment of the housing project. “By refusing our support proposal on another land to be sought elsewhere, you seem to want to register in a posture of opposition”, also indicates the mail.
“The elected officials did not read the file”
Arguments that do not convince Philippe Lebailly, co-president of the association, for whom “the elected officials did not read the file, because they discovered during our meeting in particular the proposal for a pilot phase of 3 years to validate the project “. According to him, this choice of location is justified for several reasons. “It is the most densely populated area in the district and the spaces are important to fight against green heat islands. It is central and close to the Lardenne district and shared garden, already validated in 2019, complements the educational farm and the market gardening site. “Philippe Lebailly also mentions the support of various communities and a large majority of the inhabitants of the district and evokes a” discriminatory decision “.
In a letter sent this Wednesday to Jean-Luc Moudenc, mayor of Toulouse, the collective requests a serious, sincere and transparent study of the file. “We cannot be the only urban farm project in France to be asked to buy the land and oppose, as the only real argument, the need to build at the time of the increasingly alarming IPCC reports on global warming”, is surprised Philippe Lebailly, who hopes to meet the mayor to respond point by point to the demands of the community.