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The company 369 St. Barth Beach Club has four months to submit an amended permit that complies with zoning regulations, particularly regarding the minimum area of green space.
Following the Émeraude St Barth case (JSB1674), the beach restaurant project in Lorient was heard by the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeals. This time, the petition was filed by opponents of the project: a group of neighbors. This group of local residents had previously asked the administrative court to revoke the building permit issued to SC Management—now known as 369 St Barth Beach Club—which sought to build a restaurant-bar-hotel on the beachfront in Lorient. The Saint-Barthélemy Administrative Court rejected this request on November 28, 2023.
Three Issues to Be Resolved
The group refused to accept defeat and brought the case before the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeals. Following the hearing held on June 18, the Court of Appeals issued its decision on July 9, 2026. The court decided to stay the proceedings “to allow 369 St Barth Beach Club to notify the court, within four months,” a “new order granting it the requested building permit and rectifying the deficiencies mentioned in points 8, 10, and 16 of this order.” The company therefore has four months to submit to the court an amended permit that takes into account the modifications ordered by the court. Three aspects of the permit must be brought into compliance, as they do not conform to zoning regulations. First, a section of the walkway leading to the beach and part of the north wall are designated for Zone N, even though this is a so-called “no-build” zone. Furthermore, the Court argues that part of the construction does not comply with urban planning regulations, since a wall that is to be built in the “deck sector” “cannot be considered a light or low-rise structure.” Finally, the Court of Appeals emphasizes that the permit granted does not provide for sufficient green spaces.
“A small victory”
The decision is viewed as “a small victory for the well-being of Saint Barth” by the residents’ group. “They could have revoked the permit, since we know that 70 square meters of green space is virtually impossible to find in the current state of the site,” the group responded, expressing “mixed feelings” about the decision. However, the group remains vigilant and is monitoring the Executive Council’s decision, as it will have to vote on the amended permit. “If the Collectivité rejects it, this project will be canceled outright, which would be a huge victory this time around,” the neighbors hope. When contacted by the JSB, Julien Sormonte, president of 369 St. Barth Beach Club, had not responded by the time the newspaper went to press.
