Transform an old abandoned wine farm into a place to live, all in a developing activity zone. This is the project of Hérault promoters for Mas Delfau in Perpignan. A redevelopment project barely revealed, but already subject to controversy, particularly because of the water shortage.
It is with pride that the promoters unveiled their development project for Mas Delfau, in Perpignan. A former 18 hectare wine-growing area, with buildings now abandoned, and probably squatted, and which is imagined as a living space, open to all.
“We are going to recreate this place like a village square so that there is a place of conviviality, a place of leisure, all shared with workplaces. ” explains Pierre Bertrand, promoter of the Hectare group.
A water problem?
A 22M euro project, with new offices, a tavern, restaurants, a few hotel rooms, and already a controversy.
There will ultimately be a total of 3 basins to fill with water while the Pyrénnées-Orientales department has suffered from a structural water shortage for two years.
But this hydraulic engineer assures us: no samples should be taken from the groundwater.
“Under no circumstances will we do drilling, The regulationsprohibited, and we are lucky on this site to already have an existing surface water resource via the Perpignan canal”, says Thomas Charlet, hydraulic engineer at the CIEMAA design office.
Basins which should make this southern area of Perpignan more attractive, with water activities, such as a potential ski lift.
“If there is not enough water, there will be no activities on the water but we will create a place to live. And even if there were a water ski lift, which is not confirmed, we do not consume water“, argues Jacques Buldu, promoter at Buldu Promotion.
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The image is not good, but someone who slides on water does not consume water!
Jacques Found, Promoteur Found Promotion
Arguments which struggle to convince opponents of the project, who speak of an aberration.
“As the Minister of Agriculture said, we must prioritize uses, first agriculture, then the consumption of drinking water and after leisure. Especially since we are already in an area where farmers are prohibited from irrigating. There is no water !” contests Philippe Poisse of the Collectif Let’s Preserve Water in the POs.
If the studies are conclusive, work will begin in 2026.