The Town's major projects by 2027
As a flagship project of the term, the Town has planned a new 15-class school complex near existing schools and has undertaken the...
The growth of the municipal population, driven in particular by compliance with social housing obligations, as well as the dilapidation of the Marius Gensollen nursery school, make it necessary to build a new school.
EXTENSION OF THE CURRENT SCHOOL COMPLEX After studying several scenarios, the Municipality chose to build the new school complex as an extension of the existing school site to the north-west of the town centre. The land selected for the project consists of the former bowls pitch adjacent to the current school complex and land currently owned by the Municipality.
The project consists of extending the existing school complex, with the construction of a new 15-class school, including 4 elementary classes, 11 nursery classes, and the demolition of the Marius Gensollen school. As part of this new school complex, an 80-space car park is also planned due to increasing enrolment. This car park will be built on the site of the former Gensollen school, which will be demolished.
Finally, this project also requires upgrading the surrounding roads and utility networks of this new, expanded site, which comprises the existing school complexes (Marie Curie, Jean Monnet, Jean Aicard) and the future school complex.
Continuing this process, in 2021, the Municipality launched a global performance contract to select, through competitive bidding, the economic operators who will build the facility. Work began on 23 October 2023, and delivery of the new classrooms is scheduled for 14 February 2025. Then, the car park and surrounding roads (including the school square) will be completed, with the goal of finishing all work for the start of the school year in September 2025, when the school complex must be operational.
PHASE 2 OF THE CENTRALITY PROJECT The project involves building a 30-unit housing building with 600 m² of space dedicated to services, as well as a second building containing a rooftop restaurant and market halls bordering a large, planted square. Parking and pedestrian areas will be developed, connecting to the schools. The project also plans to redevelop a section of the avenue de la République to integrate and connect this new town centre to the place de la Liberté and the Mairie.
Launch of works in September 2024. The duration of the work is estimated at 20 months.
GRAND-VALLAT AGRO-NATURAL ZONE Wishing to support structured yet significant urban development, the Municipality intends to develop facilities and highlight its heritage. This is why elected officials wanted to include in the revised PLU, approved in June 2021, the development of a green corridor structuring a green axis and promoting soft mobility between the Coudon and the Gapeau. This project has been sequenced, and the Municipality now wishes to complete the southern part of the project by developing a site of nearly 13.6 hectares, creating an agro-natural zone open to the public.
This development will allow for the creation of soft and active pathways over nearly a kilometre, and the installation of sports equipment for outdoor sports (such as mountain biking, pumptrack, fitpark, etc.). It will also enable the installation of play and educational facilities (meeting spaces, signage highlighting local heritage and history, etc.). The project also plans to green an area near the town centre and plant a significant number of trees as part of the 1,000 trees project in La Farlède (by 2025).
Around a hundred tall trees are to be planted in the area. Finally, the Municipality will develop a renewable energy production system, notably solar, through a photovoltaic farm, an investment that will produce renewable energy in the face of the current energy crisis.
AGRICULTURAL RECOVERY Furthermore, the Town is promoting agricultural plots made available to farmers. This project aims to reclaim several plots of land and protect existing ecological corridors, balance the major components of the territory, strengthen the supply of facilities, develop soft and active mobility, improve permeability, and create meeting spaces. Returning fallow agricultural land to cultivation is also based on the idea of promoting short supply chains, which should help develop agriculture and local production.
Since the end of the first quarter of 2023, the Municipality has granted long-term agricultural leases to three young and new farmers. They have thus started an agricultural activity (beekeeping, viticulture, and market gardening) and integrated into the local community by participating in the weekly market and various events organised by the Town.
Finally, the Municipality wants to develop a tourism and cultural offering around this high-quality public space. This cultural and tourism offering will be based on an events policy.
FIGHT AGAINST HEAT ISLANDS The fight against urban heat islands (UHIs) is also a priority for the Town. Thus, the year 2024 marks the starting point of this major project, which is important for the balance of territorial functions and the preservation of a village identity that the community wishes to defend and highlight despite significant population growth.
In 2024, the Town therefore launched a public consultation on usage to encourage residents to take ownership of the project. Also in 2024 (2nd half) and 2025 (1st half), the Municipality scheduled the construction of cycling and pedestrian paths, greening, and the installation of furniture and play equipment. Finally, in 2025 (2nd half), it will be time to finalise the infrastructure, install fencing, continue greening, and set up shared gardens.
Thanks to this project, the mayor of La Farlède, Yves Palmieri, was nominated for the Grand prix des maires 2023 in the "Mobility and planning" category, which rewards the best initiatives of mayors in France.
Photo Alain BLANCHOT.