Aerial view of the site of the Charial hospital in Francheville towards Lyon and the reconversion project desired by local elected officials. -

Francheville town hall

  • The opening Monday in Francheville of an emergency accommodation center angered local elected officials, who denounce "a total lack of consultation".

  • On the site of the Charial hospital, which is currently being closed, they had devised a completely different project, with a new nursing home, a health center and a sports and leisure center.

  • A project that they fear they will never be able to carry out with the requisition of land by the State.

Local elected officials had to challenge the media for the state to communicate on this subject this Friday, just three days before the opening of the structure.

A rapid reaction from the Rhône prefecture which seems to reflect the desire to quickly extinguish the anger that smolders in the West of Lyonnais.

This Friday, the mayors of Francheville, Craponne and Tassin denounced, during a press conference, the opening scheduled for Monday of an emergency accommodation center in the premises of a former nursing home located on the site of Charial Geriatric Hospital, which is due to close in February.

The site, located in Francheville and a small part of Craponne, should house in the future, a multidisciplinary medical center, a new nursing home and a sports complex, with swimming pool, according to the mayors who detailed this “territorial project, imagined in consultation in recent years with the inhabitants and the metropolis ”.

But, in the middle of August, a letter from the Hospices Civils de Lyon, owner of the land, changed the situation.

The latter learned that an occupancy agreement for the premises, "for a period of three years, renewable" had been signed between the HCL and the State for a completely different project.

After a first meeting with the prefecture in September, it was not until Wednesday that the mayors were, according to their statements, informed during a new meeting of the intentions of the State on this site.

"A total lack of consultation", which triggered the ire of elected officials.

How the State buries a territorial project to impose its choice of accommodation center on the Charial site.

Michel Rantonnet Mayor of Francheville accompanied by the mayors of Tassin and Craponne relate the facts during a press conference.

#mairesencolere pic.twitter.com/HiwOn2h2iN

- Francheville (@MonFrancheville) November 6, 2020

"Our project is compromised"

“Not in substance, we are all aware of the health context and the need for vulnerable populations not to remain on the streets.

This is not the point.

But on the form, we are very angry ", declares the LR mayor of Francheville Michel Rantonnet, who" for several years "has been carrying out this project of reconversion of the 6 hectare site.

“Our project is compromised by the sole will of the State.

It imposes another project on us and compromises the development of a living area, ”he annoys.

From Monday, the old retirement home must welcome "families on the street".

Or "84 people who will be supervised and accompanied by the Salvation Army and Our Lady of the homeless", according to the details given this Friday by the prefecture in a press release.

Once the hospital is decommissioned, the mayors fear that other vulnerable groups will arrive on the site.

“There are several hundred people expected, without us being able to specify the order of magnitude.

300, 500, 600 people?

“Asks the mayor of Francheville.

A project incompatible according to them with the situation of their respective municipalities, which do not have sufficient capacities, in terms of education, medico-social or transport, to welcome this fragile public.

A temporary center depending on the state

"There is a lack of anticipation of the State which will reflect on us", worries Sandrine Chadier, mayor Various right of Craponne, arguing of the very heavy occupation of current schools, enlarged with prefabricated to cope with the demographic increase observed in this territory.

Concerning security too, there is great concern.

"The risk of a site out of control is real," underlines the LR mayor of Tassin Pascal Charmot.

The number of people accommodated will increase over the months, with a diversity of the public accommodated (single women or women with children, asylum seekers, etc.).

The associations, whose competence is obviously recognized, will not however have the means to guarantee that security and tranquility on the site and in the vicinity will be ensured ”.

Fears and arguments swept aside by the Rhône prefecture which, contacted by

20 Minutes,

delivers a completely different version.

"These elected officials were informed in August by the HCL and then there were telephone exchanges and two meetings to inform them", underlines a spokesperson, ensuring that the HCL site will be made available to elected officials. when their project is launched.

“But today it is a project at the embryonic stage, there is nothing concrete.

No study, public inquiry….

Nothing.

We are not going to leave an unused building for years, given the sanitary context and knowing that we need to shelter the most vulnerable.

Everyone must participate in the solidarity effort, which is more necessary than ever in this period, ”adds this same source.

To push back the State and obtain a real consultation, the local elected officials indicated to have lodged an appeal free of charge with the prefecture.

An attempt, which if it does not succeed, could be followed by other remedies.

"We are studying all the possibilities," says the mayor of Francheville.

In their sling, they will not be able to count on the support of the environmental president of the metropolis Bruno Bernard who, in a tweet this Friday, called on "all the municipalities of our territory to take their full part in the implementation of shelter for the most fragile ”, by affirming its support“ for this joint HCL-State project of a temporary emergency accommodation center at Charial hospital.

"

Lyon

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Paris

Paris: The mayor of the 1st arrondissement ready to welcome the reception center for the homeless

  • Society

  • Prefecture

  • Controversy

  • Mayor

  • Lyon

  • Solidarity

  • Homeless

  • Social

  • Emergency accommodation