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After blocking the entrance to the pathway leading to Colombier beach in Petite Anse on Friday December 13, the owners have agreed to leave a passageway for walkers. But the situation is still far from resolved.
When Saint-Barthélemy turns into Clochemerle, it's in Petite Anse that people are shooting at each other. Last week was punctuated by the soap opera surrounding the entrance to the path leading to Colombier beach.
It all began on the morning of Friday December 13. The owners of the entrance to the path and of a plot of land a little further away decided to block the access with two concrete blocks on which rocks were placed. They then affixed three large signs, in French and English, marking the entrance to a private property.
As soon as it was announced that the barrier had been erected, obstructing access to the path, reactions of incomprehension abounded, particularly online via so-called "social networks". Also online, the President of the Collectivité offers an explanation. A few months ago, the owner submitted a preliminary declaration to fence off his land," says Xavier Lédée. This DP was approved by a majority of the members of the CE (executive council, editor's note). While I voted against, Romaric Magras and Alexandra Questel abstained and the 3 elected members of Action Balance voted in favor (Marie Angèle Aubin did not take part in the vote). In my opinion, this RFP has not been respected, and a meeting has been held with the owner to find an intelligent way out of what I believe to be a pressure tactic to advance other issues of interest to him. "The landowner in question is not the one whose parcel includes the entrance to the pathway, but a piece of land a little further away.
The concrete blocks remain in place
On Saturday morning, the signs fixed the day before were torn down and the concrete blocks were spray-painted with black paint. On the right-hand side of the concrete blocks, branches were removed to open up a passageway. Then, for two days, nothing moved. On Monday morning, the owners replaced a sign marking the entrance to a private property. In the morning, they went to the Hôtel de la Collectivité accompanied by their lawyer to speak with President Lédée.
In mid-afternoon, Xavier Lédée announced, still online: "While legitimate land issues remain to be settled on various dossiers, the people concerned have understood that a passageway must be left on this access road to Colombier beach. "A statement backed up by a Collectivité publication announcing the "reopening of the path".
In reality, one passage (two, for those who decide to climb over a rock) had already been opened on Saturday by the people who tore down the signs. The owners have therefore chosen not to obstruct them again. However, they do not intend to remove the concrete blocks, rocks and new sign installed on Monday morning. Contacted by telephone, one of the owners explains: "We met (with president Xavier Lédée, editor's note) but there's no agreement on anything. We're going to put back the signs indicating that this is private property. We have private property and that's that. If the local authority has documents proving that we have a right of way, let them show us. If people come through, we're not going to chase them. But they'll be violating our property. Next door, there was a fatality in an accident last year and nothing was done by the Collectivité. Not a single measure has been taken to prevent it from happening again. We're building low walls all over the island, but nothing. I can't give people permission to drive through my house. "
Since then, the concrete blocks have been painted green to give them a less off-putting appearance, but they're still firmly in place at the entrance to the path. As is the large sign reading "Private property, no trespassing. "
