Le Bois Saint Martin, a 280 hectare green space.

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Hugues-Marie Duclos - Ile-de-France Region

  • The Bois Saint-Martin has been opening gradually since the end of December to preserve the site's biodiversity.

    Communities had wanted to acquire it for almost 40 years.

  • This forest "will improve the quality of life of the inhabitants", estimates the mayor of Noisy-le-Grand, Brigitte Marsigny.

    Until now, the sector was “considered to be lacking in green spaces”.

  • The Ile-de-France region is targeting 1,000 hectares of new green spaces by 2025 and 1,500 hectares in 2030.

Two hundred and eighty hectares inscribed in time.

“In ten years, it will certainly be the most beautiful thing we will have left in the Ile-de-France region”.

Jean-Philippe Dugoin-Clément, vice-president of the region, does not hide his emotion.

Le Bois Saint-Martin with its 280 hectares, located in the departments of Seine-Saint-Denis in Noisy-le-Grand and Val-de-Marne in Villiers-sur-Marne and Le Plessis-Trévise, has opened to the public. December.

The opening of the woods is gradual in order to reconcile reception and preservation of the site's biodiversity as much as possible.

At the end of 2020, free guided tours were led by local associations allowing a preview of Bois Saint-Martin.

Students from schools in the area will be able to take advantage of it in the coming months, in small groups.

Then in spring 2021, free visits will be possible and arrangements will be installed so as not to disturb the flora and fauna.

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“This dream of greenery and woods has come true.

In a sector considered to be lacking in green spaces, opening the Bois Saint-Martin to the public will improve the quality of life of the inhabitants, ”notes Brigitte Marsigny, mayor of Noisy-le-Grand.

A green space that will have taken a long time to be opened to the public.

A check for 12 million euros for the region

“It's been going on for years.

Almost 40 years old.

Communities had wanted to acquire it for ten years, but it was private property, ”explains Jean-Philippe Dugoin-Clément.

Finally an agreement was reached with dozens of site owners and the sale was concluded in this year 2020. Officially, the space was acquired by the Green Spaces Agency (AEV) on behalf of the Ile-de-France region. de-France for the wooded parts, and by the town of Noisy-le-Grand for the adjoining built parts.

The cost of the operation amounts to 12 million euros for the region.

But the game is worth the effort.

“So many hectares of green spaces in a dense area, that makes sense.

All the more so since the tens of thousands of people who live nearby had no access to it until now, ”explains Jean-Philippe Dugoin-Clément.

And for good reason, the region and the communities are now on the lookout for the slightest opportunity for green spaces.

Offer 1,500 green hectares to Ile-de-France residents in 2030

Last October, the Essonnians were able to start enjoying the brand new departmental forest of La Barre, located in the territories of Etréchy, Auvers-Saint-Georges and Morigny-Champigny, 45 km to the south. from Paris.

Throughout the summer and until September, the department carried out development work on this 35 hectare wooded massif, bequeathed by a private Essonne owner "subject to protection and opening to the public".

For its part, the region is watching.

“If there are new opportunities, we will jump on them and support the communities.

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Valérie Pécresse during the inauguration - Hugues-Marie Duclos - Ile-de-France region

Purchases of green spaces, rehabilitation, creation of parks ... This acquisition of Bois Saint-Martin is fully in line with the objectives of the Green Plan for the Ile-de-France region which will have made it possible to offer Ile-de-France residents 500 new hectares of green and wooded areas.

And the plan targets 1,000 hectares by 2025 and 1,500 hectares by 2030. "With the acquisition of Bois Saint-Martin and its 280 hectares, the region exceeds the set target of 500 hectares of green spaces created for Ile-de-France residents" , welcomed Valérie Pécresse, the president of the Ile-de-France region during the inauguration.

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