thousands of demonstrators in Villeneuve-de-la-Raho to denounce a golf project

Around twenty environmental associations have called for demonstrations on Saturday against a future golf project on 180 hectares. The Pyrénées-Orientales have been going through the worst drought in their history for two years.

Several thousand people gathered at the end of the morning, Saturday December 16, against the Villeneuve-de-la-Raho golf project (Pyrénées-Orientales) at the call of around twenty environmental associations and ecological parties , reports France Bleu Roussillon.

Protesters gathered at the site of the future complex. There were 4,000 of them, according to the gendarmes, 4,500 according to the organizers, who expected a thousand. The gendarmes were positioned at each entry point into the city.

The golf course is to be built on 180 hectares, with a clubhouse, a hotel and 600 accommodations. The first work began at the end of 2023 and aroused the anger of environmental associations, who recall that the Pyrénées-Orientales have been going through the worst drought in their history for two years.

The project is supported by local economic players such as the CCI, Medef, Fnaim, BTP and Umih 66. The mayor of Villeneuve-de-la-Raho, Jacqueline Irles, who has been leading this project for more than twenty years , assured Friday on France Bleu Roussillon that the golf course will be watered “100% thanks to water from the treatment plant”.

“Thirty hectares of urbanization”

On the side of the opponents, this golf course is perceived as a “big excuse”. Marc Maillet has been fighting for 20 years against various golf projects in Villeneuve-de-la-Raho and is currently taking legal action. He spoke on Saturday on Franceinfo. “Golf is a big excuse, we still have to dot the i’s. It’s above all 30 hectares of urbanization”estimates the president of the Frêne 66 association, Federation for natural spaces and the environment of the Pyrénées-Orientales.

“This destroyed a very interesting wetland at the level of the sponge which is necessary to preserve the water”. He also rejects the proposal to water the golf course with wastewater. “Wastewater from the stations is discharged either into watercourses or into nature and constitutes a sort of contribution to groundwater with natural filtration”he denounces.