Residents block tree cutting at LGV site

Residents and local officials are challenging the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse high-speed rail project by organizing blockades and questioning the legality of construction. On October 15, Marwil, a 72-year-old resident of a neighboring commune, was among the first to arrive at the site at dawn to prevent planned tree cutting.

Deforestation delayed by protests

The mobilization of residents and officials has slowed down the deforestation planned for the LGV construction site in Ayguemorte-les-Graves. The commune is also attempting to use regulatory measures to hinder the project. Since the beginning of the week, around twenty people have been taking turns to block the preparatory works for the LGV Bordeaux-Toulouse project.

Intermittent progress on construction site

The deforestation and clearing of 1,000 hectares by the end of the year are intended to allow the completion of preliminary archaeological excavations. Marwil recalls the timeline of the week: "We stopped them on Monday [October 12], but they are there every morning, and sometimes even at night." Several hundred meters of forest have already been deforested.

Residents question the project’s relevance

Residents argue that a high-speed line does not make sense for the area. Julie laments that the project will have no utility for the residents of the area. Élodie, a resident of L’Isle-Saint-Georges (Gironde), believes that investment priorities in suburban and rural areas are elsewhere: "We need public transport and public infrastructure! For example, there's a lack of a high school here."

Officials report irregularities in construction

Local officials and department officials have testified to many "irregularities and forceful entries" by SNCF Réseau, the project holder of the LGV. Corinne Martinez, a departmental council member, questions the absence of signs announcing the construction site, which are supposed to be in place fifteen days before the works. The commune of Ayguemorte-les-Graves has activated its only regulatory lever.

Regulatory actions and legal challenges

The mayor of Ayguemorte-les-Graves has taken over a municipal decree to reaffirm the ban on the circulation of vehicles over 3.5 tonnes on communal roads, and a new one to prohibit parking, details Philippe Godard, a municipal councilor. Corinne Martinez also questions the urgency of the works, given that the overall financing of the project, 24 billion euros, is not guaranteed and all appeals have not yet been exhausted.

Continued resistance and legal uncertainty

Twenty people are now present on the site. Occupants of the "zad du milieu," at Feugarolles (Lot-et-Garonne), have come to reinforce the ranks. On October 6, forest owners also tried to block a construction site, a few kilometers away. A gendarmerie vehicle makes multiple back-and-forth trips, but no construction machinery approaches. "They are next to it, in a property purchased by SNCF," explains Frédéric, a member of the board of LGVEA, an association opposing the project.