a municipality decides to ban construction to preserve its biodiversity

A chalet in the heart of a postcard on the heights of Gérardmer (Vosges), that’s what Philippe Pastourel wanted for his son. He would have liked to give him a piece of family land to build a house and a workshop for him to become a tiler. But the town hall has just banned any new construction above 700 meters above sea level. His land is just above, his project is therefore abandoned. The objective is to slow down urbanization in this municipality where the number of dwellings has increased by 30% in less than 20 years.

80% of the surface of Gérardmer unbuildable

On all the latest files filed, “70 to 80% are second homes and rentals”, according to the mayor, Stessy Speissmann. Soaring real estate prices, lack of water resources, for many these constructions have distorted life in the town. Today, around 80% of the Gérardmer area is closed to construction. The mayor says he had no other solutions, because he cannot force construction to be done only for main residences. The ban must still be validated in the local urban plan within a year.