In Saint-Tropez, urban changes studied by the council

Has numbers and letters become the Saint-Tropez council's favorite game? In order to spice up Amendment No. 4 of the Local Urban Plan (PLU), the subtleties of each plot reclassification were scrutinized. Changes from UA2 to UA4 or UA2 to UA6 zones. But before dwelling on this administrative verbiage, which is not very explicit for the general public, independent councilor Laurence Azzéna-Gougeon denounced the non-existent collaboration between the majority and the minority on the study of urban planning files: " These are very important changes for Saint-Tropez, and we are not sufficiently included in the group work. We receive the information five days before the meeting, and it's difficult to analyze everything. I think it would have been better to debate it at the start of the school year. "

A proposal rejected by the mayor. To clarify the elected officials' various questions, Sylvie Siri, however, suspended the meeting several times to allow her Director of Urban Planning, Stéphanie Cardi, and urban planner Frédéric Poulain, who was in charge of studying and designing the changes, to speak. Here is a selection.

Too much densification of the city center?

Christine Blanc opened the question period by discussing the future of the center. " On rue Jean Aicard, a permit has been filed and accepted for the construction of more than 400m² of land at a height of 8m on a 285m² plot that will adjoin single-family homes. Isn't it possible to consider lower, more aesthetically pleasing buildings? Where did the people of Saint-Tropez live when there were 6,000 of us living here, without all these buildings? We should take stock of everything that was built under Jean-Pierre Tuveri's second term and yours," she insists.

" If there are buildings, it's because the PLU authorizes it. Of course, it will have to be changed one day! However, the Architect of Buildings of France (ABF) is doing his job and has also prohibited an additional floor for this construction even though the PLU authorized it. How many floors are refused in permits, it's commonplace..., argues Mayor Sylvie Siri. We are trying to control all the projects and we are already working on the revision of the PLU which is delayed because of the Territorial Coherence Plan (Scot). I assure you, we are trying to protect Saint-Tropez with all the tools we currently have ."

The harmonized city entrance

Still on the same subject, Laurence Azzéna-Gougeon bounced back on the requalification of part of the city entrance.

" Why did the tobacco shop and the old coastal bar change zones? Is this change also being made to increase the density of the center? " she asks. " No, it's simply for graphic consistency. The building heights are unchanged, only the uses can vary ," the planning director explains, once the meeting is adjourned.

No move in sight for La Poste

Christine Blanc resumed her observations by detailing the situation at the post office.

" I wanted to know why the part of the building housing this activity was not protected. This would have reduced the risk of seeing this property bought by a private operator and the service moved out of the city center ," she asks. A suspicion immediately dispelled by the first deputy Georges Giraud: " We had already announced it in the room, but La Poste will remain in the same place ."

Another building that's been the subject of rumors in recent months: the Caisse d'Épargne building. As a reminder, the bank is currently selling its premises and will relocate to Route des Plages in 2026.

" With the changes made to the document, a retail business will therefore be authorized to set up there. Is this a change of sub-destination? " the independent advisor continues.

" Yes, a service could become a business ," replies Georges Giraud. This is not what was announced, according to Christine Blanc : "You said you didn't want to do anything there ."

Negotiations underway at the Savings Bank

" We'll speak out on this issue in September, against the mayor. We're currently in private negotiations. We're trying every day to keep our essential businesses open! It's not easy, and we're reaching something very conclusive. We don't want the negotiations to fall apart because of certain statements. "

An argument that is difficult to accept for Frédéric Blua. " Under these conditions, we cannot vote on something we do not know, and it would have been better to postpone consideration of this point ," he stated.

All members of the opposition voted "against" this resolution.