- Several elected officials do not understand the decision to authorize the reopening of parks and gardens, but not of the beaches.
- They support the need to reopen the beaches from May 11, defending the idea of a dynamic beach on which only physical and sports activities would be allowed.
- Hourly adjustments could also be envisaged according to the beaches.
A cold shower. The Prime Minister's decision on April 28 to reopen parks and gardens from May 11 (subject to conditions) but not the beaches was very badly received by many local elected officials and professionals in the sector. If this announcement was confirmed on Saturday by the Minister of the Interior, in a week a real lobbying was set up to try to change this position.
A large majority of elected officials - of all stripes - from coastal cities in New Aquitaine thus wish to reopen the beaches next Monday. And they offer "good practices" so that this reopening can be done in the best conditions. The majority deputy (LREM) of the eighth constituency of Gironde (Arcachon), Sophie Panonacle, is today one of the spearheads of this movement. "A" tourism "group was organized in the context of the health crisis, explains the elected representative to 20 Minutes , and one of the actions of this group is to request the reopening of the beaches from May 11. We sent a letter on April 29 to the Prime Minister, as well as to the Minister of Sports, who details our dynamic beach project: the idea would be to be able to access the beaches to practice physical activity and sports there, without staying there static. "
"Running, swimming, surfing ... But no picnic or sunbathing"
Mayor of Lège-Cap-Ferret, a town with 50 km of beaches, Philippe de Gonneville supports this concept of dynamic beach: "no picnic or sunbathing, only running, walking, swimming or even surfing would be allowed. " The elected official goes even further and for his part would ask that his beaches "be closed on weekends and holidays until June 2, to avoid being attractive to city dwellers, as this would pose a problem in the food shops of the city. "He also wants to" limit the number of adults to four per beach. »« From the moment you have the right to walk in the streets freely, respecting the sanitary instructions, I do not see why we should not have the right to walk on the beach, which is an extremely vast space , and where maintaining safe distances is easy to execute, ”argues the mayor.
Mayor of Gujan-Mestras in the Arcachon basin, Marie-Hélène des Esgaulx explains that, for coastal communities, “the beach is like our parks and gardens. "I have no objection to the reopening of La Hume beach, on the contrary," she continues. I don't understand this fixation on the beaches. We authorized a perimeter of 100 km, so at the Arcachon Basin, the only city dwellers who could come are Bordeaux residents, I think it's manageable. "For the elected representative, on the other hand," pay attention to the level of the fore-beach, to regulate the arrivals, and be careful that there are no groups that form. "
"Perhaps the solutions we provide will change this decision"
On the thorny issue of beach surveillance, MP Sophie Panonacle ensures that "several players on the coast are ready to play the game." "The president of the surfing federation and that of the SNSM (National Society for Sea Rescue) have proposed that some of their members teach on the beaches so that everything goes well. It is not a question of copying, but of reminding that one cannot do anything. The elected official also plans to approach the Republican Guard to discuss the surveillance of ocean beaches by horsemen. "And let's leave it to each mayor to set time slots if he wishes."
Sophie Panonacle strongly believes in a change in the Prime Minister's position on this issue. "There is a lot of pressure today for the progressive reopening of the beaches, so I am hopeful that that will change," she says. Decisions are extremely difficult to make, I admit, but I see that the government is listening to everyone, especially local elected officials, and perhaps the solutions we are bringing will change this decision. There are still a few meetings left to convince.
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