Subject of strong dispute, Amazon will not settle in Fournier

Opponents of Amazon’s plan to reside in the Gard won their battle. Argan Corporation decided not to appeal
resolution Nimes Administrative Court, communications officer Odd Fire also confirmed to AFP. In the absence of proceedings before the Administrative Court of Appeal in Marseille, the decision of the Administrative Court became final. Argan is a real estate development company that specializes specifically in the construction of warehouses on behalf of large companies.

On November 9, the court granted the environmental permit application, saying that the project “is likely to affect the protection of protected animal or plant species”, while 500 trucks were expected per day. “The Court held that, despite the potential to create 600 full-time equivalent jobs and the economic benefits arising from the investments required for the project, they did not satisfy an imperative reason to exceed the benefit.” The court also considered “that it did not follow the instructions that there is no alternative for the construction of this project at the Fournier site.”

Building with an area of ​​38,800 square meters on an area of ​​13.7 hectares

The cancellation of the environmental permit issued by the Gard governorate prevented the implementation of the building permit. On this site in Fournès, a small town near Pont du Gard, the 38,800 square meter building was initially supposed to be built on an area of ​​13.7 hectares. Located near exit 23 of the A9, it was intended to serve as the American giant’s parcel sorting center.

This decision raises the question of the future of our lands affected by protected species. Whether it’s Amazon or other companies, we’ll necessarily have to.”And Regrets Thierry Bodenaud, mayor of this small town of a thousand inhabitants. The elected officials of Forney but also of many surrounding municipalities had supported the arrival of the American giant into their lands. “It’s a big mess. It would be hard to start again on a file. Five years in Brands Village and four years in this project.”

“David can beat Goliath”

“David can beat Goliath,” says Patrick Fertel, a member of the Environmental Employment Development Association (ADER) who filed the application in the administrative court. And who fought for three years against this project in the name of defending the environment, while estimating that employment prospects were intentionally inflated. The association also filed a complaint for illegal interest-taking by some local elected officials.

If the Amazon project is buried, then the land belongs to Arkan. There is no indication that other projects will not see the light of day in the future. Oddfire explains that the group is “preparing to present a new, less important file.” It added, without further details, that it would be developed “in accordance with environmental standards”.