Protected species: justice cancels a social housing project near Nancy

The project was led by the social landlord Batigère, who wanted to establish these housing units in Villers-les-Nancy, in the Nancy suburbs. Batigère had obtained authorization from the prefect to deviate from the legislation on protected species, allowing him in particular to temporarily capture and kill spotted salamanders, included on the red list of amphibians in mainland France.

This authorization was contested in court by 60 local residents and an association, “La salamandre de l'Asnée”, who therefore won their case before administrative justice, at first instance then on appeal.

The Court ruled that "although the Batigère project presents a public interest, it does not, however, meet a compelling reason of major public interest sufficient to justify" an exemption, indicates the CAA in a press release.

She emphasizes that other sites would make it possible to implement a similar project "in compliance with the legislation on protected species". It also indicates that the municipality already "satisfies" the legal requirements in terms of social housing, and that the project leader does not prove the existence of a possible "situation of particular tension in terms of social housing" in the metropolis. Nancyian.

“We want to preserve our environment as long as possible, even if it is complicated because projects of all kinds keep popping up. As long as we respect the laws, we have nothing to say, but that was not the case,” Christian Friedrich, president of the “La salamandre de l’Asnée” association, told AFP.

The Batigère group has two months to file an appeal before the Council of State. When requested, the group did not respond immediately.