In Bellegarde, the municipality wants to perpetuate the “village spirit” while adapting the town to the needs of its residents.

Juan Martinez est prêt à poursuivre le travail engagé au-delà de 2026. Midi Libre – Xavier Rousseau

With some 8,000 inhabitants today, the municipality has experienced significant growth in recent years. Hence the need for the municipality to meet the needs of residents and offer them suitable social, educational, sports, cultural and economic infrastructure.

With 120 to 180 new arrivals over the past five to six years, the municipality of Bellegarde is experiencing significant demographic growth and now has some 8,000 inhabitants (2022 census). And even if this growth “will stabilize in the years to come”, according to its mayor, Juan Martinez, who also chairs the Beaucaire Terre d'Argence community of communes (CCBTA), the fact remains that social, educational, sports, cultural and even economic infrastructures must follow.

We want “keep the village spirit while having the desire to offer accessible, even free, municipal public services to the population. We manage everything through municipal services (water and sanitation, central canteen, crèche, etc., Editor's note)“, insists Juan Martinez. Examples: the projects for a second municipal nursery (45 cots and 15 full-time equivalent jobs) and municipal halls (eight to nine spaces on 230 m2) built on the Ferrières plateau, a new urban district created on the heights of the city after the floods in the city in 2003, launched in 2024 should be completed in September and in the last quarter of 2025.

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“We have a very young population, with 1,000 young people before secondary school, confirms Juan Martinez. The waiting list for the crèche is long.”

Construction of a rescue center

Another structuring project whose work should begin at the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026, that of the construction of a rescue center after the signing of an agreement with the Sdis (Departmental Fire and Rescue Service). “Until now, we were covered by the Saint-Gilles center, but with 1,200 interventions per year in the municipality, there is a need for a barracks. It will also cover the main roads in the south of the department, namely the RD 38 and 6 113.” Ultimately, it should accommodate 80 firefighters, including ten to twelve professionals. “The calls for tenders have been launched and once the architect has been chosen, the City has decided to build the centre. Commissioning is planned for the first quarter of 2027.”

In 2025, the municipality will continue to develop video surveillance to increase from 60 to 76 cameras and is considering building an urban supervision centre that will allow the doubling of the municipal police force (eight officers). She is working on the creation of a roundabout on the RD 38, the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant (€700,000 of work), the improvement of networks – drinking water schemes (€130,000) and rainwater (€110,000) –, and on soft mobility.

Reducing the city's electricity bill with photovoltaics

Photovoltaics also represent a significant item. After the roofs of the three public schools are covered in 2024, it is planned to either create a car park with shade or cover another public building. “It will become profitable after three years. Our electricity bill should go from €1 million to €300,000, a saving of 30% in 2025”, rejoices Juan Martinez.

There are two remaining issues to watch for the mayor of Bellegarde: the THT line issue “which we still don't want”, and the Rhône plan with the work on the Petit Rhône, “they have to start”.