In Yvelines, floating chalets threatened with destruction

The county council, which owns the land, has given the occupants of the cabins until December 31 to dismantle them, judging that they were endangering the biodiversity and accessibility of the site.

"We have noticed a deterioration of the bank," explains Sophie Danlos, the department's environmental director.

In a recent environmental report on the Peuple de l'Herbe Park, which houses the pond, the Fox Consulting agency notes that "the presence of numerous cabins [...] is quite detrimental to the expansion and the lasting presence of plant and animal species."

"It's a public space that has been gradually privatized with the construction of retaining walls, private gardens, and fences," Ms. Danlos also says.

A disused sand quarry, the twenty-hectare site was transformed into a pond, fed by water from the neighboring Seine and groundwater. In the 1960s, former quarry workers had the idea of ​​building fishing huts there.

Supported by floats or buoys, the chalets have become more sophisticated over time to become popular holiday spots because they are close to the capital.

Today there are 37 of them on the south bank of the pond.

"Haven of peace"

"It's a haven of peace, an antidote to stress," marvels Alain Chambard, who has lived in a cabin for around ten years, from where he contemplates the geese and swans perched on the pond.

"You can't expect such a place 30 km from Paris," adds this trained architect who bought his chalet for 30.000 euros and spent the same amount on maintenance and renovation.

When we discovered the site, "we felt like we had walked through a door like in 'Alice in Wonderland'," recalls Cécile Briard, a young retiree who has owned a cabin with her husband since 2013.

The Galiotte association, whose petition to save the chalets has collected nearly 4.000 signatures, emphasizes the heritage value of the buildings.

"It's a very fine example of popular architecture with a collection of disparate houses, each with its own character," describes its president, Emmanuel Soyer.

The occupants also highlight the low carbon footprint of their homes, which draw their energy from solar panels and wind turbines, are equipped with dry toilets and consume little water.

The socio-professional profile of the owners is very diverse, assures Mr. Soyer: "There are Moldovan workers, attracted by the dacha aspect of these wooden houses, as well as managers and laboratory directors."

Renaturation

After the removal of the chalets, the department hopes to renature the riverbank, says Sophie Danlos. "We will plant suitable species to maintain the embankments and promote biodiversity."

Decking (plank structures) and observation pontoons should also allow the public to "take back possession of this space" and boost attendance at the park, which already welcomes 600.000 visitors per year.

To avoid dismantling, the occupants hope to find a compromise.

"We could free the banks from human occupation by removing the lean-tos, most of which are wooden, while keeping the chalets, which don't bother anyone since they are on the water," suggests Emmanuel Soyer.

The association also proposed developing an educational and cultural project in partnership with the departmental council.

But dialogue has broken down since the end of 2022, with the department criticizing the deterioration in the condition of the plots.

While he acknowledges some "reprehensible behavior," Mr. Soyer assures that these are isolated incidents and that the cabins are well maintained.

Faced with the community's firm stance, however, recourse appears limited. The chalet owners have signed three-year occupancy agreements with the department, which will not be renewed in 2026.

Some of them anticipate, with sadness and bitterness, the imminent disappearance of their bungalows. "If you take away the cabins, it's just an ordinary pond," sighs Alain Chambard.