Funny election Each year, Paysages de France unveils its winners. In Gard, Isère, Puy-de-Dôme and Réunion, they are four recipients this year of this prize that no one wants to receive
On the future of leisure activities in Moussac, motorists have something to read… — Paysages de France
- For several years, the association Paysages de France has been awarding its ugly France prizes, on the proposal of its members. Moussac (Gard), Villard-de-Lans (Isère), Aubière (Puy-de-Dôme) and Saint-Paul (Reunion Island) are – not necessarily – the lucky ones.
- “The problem is that the number of laws in France is inversely proportional to their effectiveness, since nobody respects anything. And no one understands anything about it”, regrets Olivier Saladin, administrator of the association.
- The prize – not always very well received – sometimes leads to a reaction from the State or communities.
It’s a bit like the Gérards for cinema and television. The cinder block that no one likes to receive. For several years, the association Paysages de France has been awarding its ugly France prizes. “We offer “ our members a little photo contest of places that deal with the problem of ugly France. These warts at the city entrances, filthy and abandoned advertising. We received many photos. A jury met and selected a few”, explains Olivier Saladin, administrator of the association. “We are not talking about the communes themselves. But many of these places, most of the time at the entrances to towns, whose space is completely abandoned; to advertising”
Four towns are on the list of winners for the 2022 edition. twenty kilometers from Nîmes, is one of the “”happy” elected, for the price of the advertising campaign. On the wall of a private individual, in a bend, thirteen panels are glued to each other in a hymn to the world. consumption.
In Moussac, “a wart”, “the wall of shame”
Contact by France Bleu Gard Lozère, the mayor of Moussac regrets this wall which he considers to be “a wart. […] This is the wall of shame. Just outside entering the village, it’s a shame, he explains to the radio. It’s not our fault, we would have been fine. of that advertisement. We have other very, very beautiful things to look forward to. show in the village, rather than this portion over which the municipality has no control.””
For Paysages de France, however, the legal arsenal exists. But it is rarely applied. “The problem is that the number of laws in France is inversely proportional to the number of laws in France. their efficiency, since no one respects anything. And no one understands anything, continues Olivier Saladin. In fact, either there is a local advertising regulation, but this is rarely the case in small municipalities, and in this case it is up to the mayor to enforce the law. Either there is none, and then it is up to the prefect to do so.”
But also Villard-de-Lans, Saint-Paul and Aubière
In order to circumvent “the unaestheticism” from the entrance to the town, Frédéric Salle-Lagarde plans to plant a bamboo hedge and hide the panels. But before the first pickaxe, it will be necessary to obtain permission from the Gard department, holder of the right-of-way on this stretch of road.
In Villard-de-Lans, a luminous panel “shows the landscape that one could see if it were not there”, evokes Landscapes of France. – Landscapes of France
The price of [sad] banality for the commercial area of Aubière, in Puy-de-Dôme and its anthology of billboards, at; loss of sight.
In Aubière, banality a forest of billboards in the commercial area. – Landscapes of France
The price of landscape aggression in “Réunion” for a series of panels on the town of Saint-Paul.
In Saint-Paul, the price of “aggression in Reunion”. – Landscapes of France
A poisoned gift
“Symbolically, we send the mayors of the municipalities their prize. Strangely, we have very little feedback,” smiles Olivier Saladin. Even if the approach is not entirely futile. In 2021, changes occurred in two of the four municipalities “pinned”:” Dambach-la-Ville (Bas-Rhin), “ ” following the intervention of Paysages de France with the prefecture, the panel installed near a historical monument has been withdrawn.”
The case seems a bit trickier to understand. Montalieu-Vercieu (Isère): “The illegal signs at the entrance to the city have been removed removed by the DDT from l’Is`re to at the request of the association, emphasizes Paysages de France. However, the mayor of Montalieu-Vercieu asks him for damages and interest. 3.5 million euros for damages to the image of his commune.”