Pont-Saint-Esprit: an opposition councilor deplores the cancellation of the purchase of land for the new college project

Le conseiller municipal d’opposition, Christophe Antunes est le seul à avoir voté contre l’annulation de l’achat du terrain. Midi Libre – archive Constance Colle

Dans un communiqué, Christophe Antunes, le conseiller municipal du groupe d’opposition Pont d’abord, estime que "rien ne peut justifier la mise à l’arrêt du projet".

During the last municipal council meeting of Pont-Saint-Esprit on November 27, Mayor Valère Segal confirmed the termination of the agreement with the EPF (Établissement public fonction Occitanie) for the purchase of land intended for the construction of a new college. In a press release, councilor Christophe Antunes from the opposition group Pont d’abord, Claire Lapeyronie’s running mate who did not participate in the debate and vote as she is president of the EPF, deplores “the shutdown of the new establishment […]. Nothing can justify this decision. Pont-Saint-Esprit has the oldest public college in the department. Its premises impose seriously degraded working conditions in which our children and the entire educational community will continue to evolve”

“The EPFO ​​had paid the price of this plot to the sellers on behalf of the City, he writes. The terms of a ten-year loan had been negotiated to finance this major project for the attractiveness of the area and for the well-being of young people and the entire educational community. The town hall was supposed to reimburse before November 2024, but at the initiative of the municipal majority, the City voted to refuse to reimburse this amount […]. By breaking the terms of a contract set by agreement with the EPO, the municipal majority is exposing the City to legal litigation with an uncertain outcome.” The opposition councilor continues: “Mr. Segal is once again putting a stop to things without proposing a “plan B” […]. The municipal majority is disregarding the needs of the Spiripontains. The City is backing down and taking the risk of being downgraded.”