A bottle of alcohol in the grass (illustration) - Fabrice Elsner / 20 Minutes

  • From Monday, this very busy esplanade in Angers will be closed to the public.
  • A decision motivated by an increase in nuisances in this sector, especially at night.

Last weekend to enjoy it before a few weeks. The Coeur de Maine esplanade, this vast grassy area 100 m long, inaugurated barely a year ago on the banks of the Maine at Angers, will be surrounded by barriers from Monday. The town hall made the decision to close the place after numerous incivilities and fights over an alcoholic background have erupted there in recent days.

“At the time of deconfinement, this esplanade was overcrowded, observes the first deputy mayor of Angers, Jean-Marc Verchère. The other places of life being closed, many young people found there a place to spend the evening and the night, with the incivility and the noise nuisance which go with it. We saw amazing things like burnt grass with hookah. Portable speakers create nuisances that annoy everyone ... We will have to find a solution to these phenomena, but in the meantime, we decided to close everything to "calm the game". "

Work will also be started on this grassy area, after the sprinklers have been degraded. Additional trash cans are also expected to be installed, to try to improve matters when it reopens in July.

Yes, we had to act out of respect for the residents. But the decision is radical and questions about this development which we had denounced the aberration from an urban point of view and cost measured. what is his future? Cc @MahGilles #dallebeton @AimerAngers https://t.co/FVkBZUzZbC

- Silvia CamaraTombini (@SCamaraTombini) June 3, 2020

No "alternative solutions"

In the meantime, this radical decision has provoked many reactions among the inhabitants. MP Matthieu Orphelin, who pleads for the search for "alternative solutions", also entered the debate. The latter proposes for example "a partial reopening from June 10, during the day and early evening, which would significantly reduce the nuisance for residents while maintaining this essential space for social ties. "

Impossible for Jean-Marc Verchère, who also highlights technical issues. “We are going to resow the lawn, so we will have to make sure that it is not trampled on. In addition, the closure of the site will require heavy work with barriers which are not intended to be dismantled several times a day. "

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  • Deconfinement
  • Violence
  • Alcohol
  • Angers
  • Society